Chance of a Lifetime
by BellaMorgan1
Summary: One year later… Alec and Magnus have always had plans to make it down the aisle, eventually, but for now, life happens to be getting in their way. PART IV of Chances Series.
1. Make up, Make out

**Chapter 1 – Make up; Make out**

Magnus pulled into their driveway and just sat in his car for a moment. He took a deep breath. Then another.

He needed this moment of peace to ground him before he went to join his family. It was a Saturday and he was supposed to be home but someone with a beautiful, expensive, estate decided to die and the company only wanted him to handle the case. The patriarch of the family had only been dead a few hours before the rich, spoiled, and insensitive children began the fighting. The case would be high profile for their world and his company only wanted the best; which at this moment was him. The problem with going to work on this Saturday as they were watching Christopher while Jace and Clary enjoyed a beautiful day away. And Raphael had soccer. And Max had soccer, but for a different team. Alec was being a single parent to three small children on a Saturday they were supposed to be handling together.

Magnus got called in and left Alec to run both sports and watch a one-year-old. Alec said he wasn't mad, that he understood, but his text message said otherwise. He sent it an hour ago.

 _iMagnus Bane, I am breaking up with you. You can get your stuff but I'm keeping our children./i_

The text was followed by a black and white GIF of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch crying in the rain.

Alec had brought on the GIFs.

There was no way he was going to make it out of this one alive without significant begging and groveling. So, here he sat in his car for the last ten minutes trying to figure out to get out of trouble without bringing up the fact that its work and he had to go. He was the team lead; he had to go when the partners told him to go. He knew that wasn't going to work and had to find a way to get this by Alec. Magnus felt genuinely horrible for leaving Alec this morning with a full plate of three kids with two separate soccer team games, at different fields.

They had debated about which sports to put the kids in, Raphael wanted soccer and Max didn't care so they both got soccer for now until Max could decide on what he wanted. They also opted to put Max on a different team. His anxiety of being away from Raphael flared up again when Ragnor came to town over last Christmas. Alec didn't want to do it alone so him and Magnus both decided different sports would be best. Raphael loved his soccer team whereas Max was indifferent to it. He played well but you could tell it was not his passion. Alec went back to the drawing board and decided Max would go into a different sport in the summer or fall until they found which sport or activity Max wanted. Alec was currently looking up art programs for the boys. He wanted them well rounded.

Magnus' finally pep talk went well and he got out of his car. He heard the yelling and screaming from the backyard; the boys were on the swing set. He rounded the corner in time to see Raphael go down the slide on his stomach while holding onto Max's ankles. They landed in a pile of giggles and dirt. They would both be getting baths tonight and Magnus knew who would be getting that joyful event; him. Alec was sitting on the porch with Christopher in his lap, both just watching the boys.

Christopher was a very shy and thoughtful one-year-old, he prefers to sit and watch before joining into the fun, even with the boys. He always took his time in getting loud or fussy. He was moving his hands around with the small t-rex in his arms. He was content to stay in Alec's lap; his eyes darting around as the boys ran from side to side playing their latest imaginary game.

"Hey, babe." Magnus sat his briefcase down on the table and kissed the side of Alec's hairline, then leaned down to kiss the top of Christopher's head.

"Mmm," Chris giggled in his little baby speech.

"Come to pack?" Alec smirked up at him, tilting his head to get a better view of him, Magnus was busy removing his tie and unbuttoning the top few buttons on his shirt.

"You're funny." Magnus waved at the boys when they both called his name but neither stop playing long enough to pay him any mind. He kissed Alec briefly on the lips, hovering just above his lips before descending for one more brief kiss.

The day was warm; it was middle of spring and Michigan's weather was finally getting it's act together and acting like spring. This was the second day in the row where was weather was sunshine with no rain in sight. There was always a shower here or there in Michigan in the spring but not the last few days. The last few days had been beautiful. He should have been here with his family to enjoy their time in the beautiful weather.

"Tomorrow we should go to the store and buy some sand for their pit; it's looking low." Alec pointed out beyond the stone circle that was their bonfire pit to the square stone pit. Alec used stones to keep the sand in the general area and covered it was a plastic cover he found at a garage sale, it kept the sand dryer and the animals stayed out of it. Every year he had to add a new bag of sand since Max and Raphael were known for getting it everywhere.

"We can do that before our family dinner." Magnus reached out and tucked a stray mass of hair behind Alec's ear, it was too long and he needed to get it cut, but Magnus secretly loved it. It gave him something to really run his hands through and during sex. Damn during sex his hair had major appeal. The way he fell into his face when Alec was above him or the way he could pull on it when he was coming, Magnus really wanted him to keep it slightly longer. "I think we need to reconsider our second anniversary. I think we should go away somewhere even if it's just local, getting a hotel for the night."

Alec sighed with a slight annoyance, "The boys have their first tournament, both of them, different tournaments on the same day. We are lucky they are at the same park just different sides. And you have your work picnic the following weekend. I already told you, this year isn't going to work." Christopher decided he wanted down and squirmed hard in Alec's arms. Alec had to readjust to keep from dropping him, so he stood up, and put the baby down in the grass letting him go towards the boys following behind him at a slow pace. "Besides, we have a honeymoon coming up. If we can decide on where to go."

"Have they eaten yet?" Magnus called out to them, ignoring Alec's dig on their honeymoon. They didn't have big fights; they had little ones. Their honeymoon was one of them. "Have you eaten yet?" He sounded hangry.

"Not yet." Alec glared at him, "I know what you're thinking. I'm not hangry."

"Yeah, right," He sighed, "I'll change and make lunch." Magnus frowned, Alec was a little madder then he let on in the text.

…

More than an hour passed before Magnus finally had a moment of peace. The boys wanted nothing to do with the mac and cheese he made until Alec sat down with Chris, he took a bite off of Max's plate and all of a sudden they both couldn't get enough. It always that way with Alec and food. He would never understand the appeal they showed for Alec's plate of food or how their little minds worked.

The boys were in Raphael's room playing with the model train set he got for Christmas while Chris was passed out in his pack 'n play in the living room. It was Max's old pack 'n play from when he was a baby; Alec had a great deal of fun going through all of Max's old things to pull out items for Chris. There was no sense in Jace and Clary trekking things over to his house when he had the same things, only mildly outdated. Pack 'n plays and high chairs were practically the same, so Alec just used Max's old ones for baby Chris.

Magnus was sitting in the middle of the couch when Alec came in from the boy's room; he had them sippy cups with water and popcorn so they could play in peace while Chris was in the living room, sleeping. Alec was almost ready for them to have real cups in the bedrooms, as long as they held water. They both had carpet and he didn't want it stained. Chris was a happy baby but he still required two or more naps during the day, it was better for the world that way and he still slept all night. Magnus just watched him breathing when Alec came into the living room to stare at him.

Alec went around the couch and pushed hard on Magnus' chest, flatting them against the couch, "We should share a goodbye kiss before you leave." Magnus adjusted on the way back to allow space for Alec to join him.

Magnus smirked, loving the feel of Alec entirely on top of him. Alec's weight holding him into the couch, was the pressure he loved to feel "No matter how many times you try and break up with me today I'm not going anywhere." He ran his hands up and down Alec's back, going as far up as he could reach then down to Alec's ass, squeezing it and pulling Alec further into him.

Alec sighed at the feeling and relaxed into Magnus' embrace. "I know work is important but after the whole Underhill situation we made a deal about no working on the weekends."

Magnus mimicked Alec's sigh. They did have a deal. It wasn't long after they returned from the cabin that Alec brought him along to his therapist. Magnus didn't talk but he listened, he listened to Alec speak about his feelings and the situation and how weak and helpless he felt in the aftermath. Magnus found himself on the edge of his seat holding onto every inch of his being to not say anything and just listen. He had to do this for Alec, it was what Alec needed from him and he would give it his all. It was hard to sit back and just listen but he managed that hour and the session after that and one more before the therapist got Magnus involved. The sessions slowed down then, going to every other week, and now Alec only went once a month. He could now talk about the situation without panic, the topic of Lydia and Raj still held a note of tense pressure in Alec's voice but otherwise, he was back. Alec was back to smiling with his eyes and joking about them. Alec still had things to work through but overall he was back to being Alec. Magnus never pushed and never made Alec talk. Magnus didn't go back to therapy with Alec after those first few months unless Alec asked him to. They talked about it and Alec felt like he was glad Magnus came to listen but he needed to do this himself and he would bring Magnus when he needed him. Magnus agreed wholeheartedly.

It was after a session six months ago that Magnus took Alec out for a late night dinner, their first alone dinner since the cabin; he took Alec's hands and in his and pulled out a pair of black wedding bands. The ones Alec wanted so bad when they first went ring shopping. Magnus put Alec's ring on and asked him to marry him. He went out and bought the rings and had each ring engraved, 'Bane' on one and 'Lightwood' on the other. Alec didn't want to take his off, so Magnus didn't make him.

Magnus lifted Alec's left hand with his black wedding band up for a kiss; he left his lips pressed to his finger and the band for a moment longer, "I know, I know, I'm sorry but my boss' boss called, I couldn't say no to a senior partner." He kissed the ring again, "There will be a few times when there is an exception to that rule."

Chris stirred in the playpen and Alec looked over to make sure he was still sleeping, he had his blanket twisted and tucked under his arm; and his stuffed t-rex laid out next to him with a single hand reached out holding onto the t-rex's tail. His pacifier was working in rhythm with breathing. Chris was out for the afternoon.

"I want a baby." Alec looked back at Magnus who was currently playing with his left hand, going between twisting the ring and kissing his finger. "Magnus, give me a baby."

"I know. But we promised to get married first."

"Can we not wait?" Alec snuggled into Magnus' chest, "Let's start now since the process is going to take forever."

"Alec, we have eight months until the wedding. You're telling me you cannot wait?" Magnus twisted slightly to get Alec to look up at him. "You broke up with me via text only two hours ago."

"Fine. Let's get back together." Alec smirked up at Magnus, catching his eye and daring him not to laugh. Magnus lost and laughed out loud at him, "Shh, baby's sleeping."

"We both have Thursday afternoon off; we have a meeting with the wedding planner. Let's go over wedding details first then we can come home before we have to pick up the boys and we can try for a baby the old fashion way."

"I think you forget we don't have the right parts for that," Alec smirked when Magnus squeezed his ass one more time, harder this time. He wanted to groan at the feeling but that would not be a good idea, so he bit his cheek instead. He was going to draw blood if Magnus kept this up.

Magnus kissed the top of Alec's messy hair covered head, "I promise you, Alexander, we are gonna have a baby together."

"Dad?" Max came around to the far side of the couch to look Alec and Magnus in the eye. Magnus quickly moved his hands from Alec's ass to his lower back.

"Yeah, buddy?" Alec looked him over without raising his head from Magnus' chest.

Max sat their popcorn bowl on the small coffee table, "Can we have more?"

Alec scrunched up his brow, "You two ate that whole bowl? Already?"

"No, Max, you guys just had lunch and the popcorn. You can wait for another snack later." Magnus ran his hand up and down Alec's back. Max went to turn away, "Max, you can put the bowl in the kitchen." He called after him; Max turned back to them.

Alec nodded, "You know better than to just leave that in here."

"Can we go back outside?"

"Not now," Alec shifted on Magnus to reach over to run his hand in Max's hair, "I'm going to pull out the grill for some burgers for dinner, you can play outside then."

Raphael came out than to join them, "We want outside."

"Christopher is sleeping; you guys can go play in your rooms for a while. We will go back outside in a little bit." Magnus cut in; he settled deep into the couch. When neither child moved, he tried again, "Go play in your rooms. When Chris gets done with his nap we can go outside." He saw the look in his son's eyes, "If you two argue back one more time with us or wake Chris up early, you will both be spending dinner in your separate rooms."

"Go." Alec looked them back in the eyes when he saw them freeze. "He's sleeping right behind you. Think very carefully before you respond."

Max turned and went to the stairs leading to his room with Raphael close behind then, both silently huffing as they went. Leaving the popcorn bowl on the coffee table.

"Is it just me or are they getting more defiant as they age? They are five and six; they're a little young for teenage angst don't you think?" Alec laid back down on Magnus' chest.

"They are testing the waters with Chris being around all the time. It's only going to get worse when we have another one. You sure you want another sassy child running around."

Alec frowned, "Let's get married first."

"Come here." Magnus put his hand on the back of Alec's neck pulling him into a kiss. He tilted his head to get a deeper kiss.

Alec smiled into the kiss, using his tongue to lick Magnus' bottom lip; he wanted Magnus to open up underneath him, he wanted Magnus to allow him access. Alec pulled back, biting his bottom lip and pulling him forward.

Magnus followed him up, kissing him when Alec released his lip. Magnus brought his hands down to cup Alec's ass again, pulling hard on him, grinding them together. This was leaning to an area they shouldn't be going but it was a train wreck neither could look away from. Magnus moved a hand up the back of Alec's shirt and down to the top of his jeans, holding onto his belt from both sides.

"You two realize my child is in the room with you."

Alec pulled back to far and almost fell off the couch sidewise at the sound of his brother's voice. Magnus grip Alec's side to keep him from falling, "What the hell?"

"I could say the same." Jace walked over to make sure his son was still sleeping, "Don't you two have a room."

Alec got off of Magnus and stood up, adjusting his clothes as he went, "He's sleeping. Besides, it was just a kiss."

"Magnus had a hand on your ass and one in your pants, and you two were grinding." Jace shuttered, "Okay, I'm never saying that sentence ever again."

Magnus grinned at Jace; their relationship was very much a love/tolerate, it all depended on the day. "Jace, you will learn soon to get it while you can. It only gets harder as they get older." He stood up and went for the stairs, "I'm going to go check on our teenagers."

"Teenagers?" Jace followed Magnus's movement.

"Max and Raphael had been a little angsty lately. It started about a week ago." Alec picked up Max's popcorn bowl to run it to the kitchen with Jace close behind. "Something must have happened at school. Picked it up from somewhere."

"Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Alec washed out the bowl and put it aside to look at Jace.

He frowned, "About what Magnus said, 'get it while you can'. How do you?" He frowned deeper, "Between work, school, and Chris, it's been hard. Clary and I can't seem to make the time."

"Didn't I just spend all day watching Chris so you two could have a day date?" Alec went to the kitchen table to have a seat, motioning for Jace to follow him.

Jace nodded, "Yeah, and we did. We had breakfast after dropping him off, then we did some shopping, had lunch and now Clary is at home sleeping while I'm here." He pointed around the room as if the get his point across. "Everything is just so exhausting. How do you fit sex in?"

"Once, Alec and I had phone sex while we were both at work." Magnus announced coming back into the room, "We also messed around in the gym while the boys had a nap. Never actually had sex in the car but came close." He took a seat next to Alec, taking up his hand. "You get creative."

"Phone sex at work?" Jace grinned while Alec turned twelve different shades of red. "Really?"

"It was hot." Magnus smirked, "And a first for me. Totally worth it."

"Magnus!" That got Alec going; he was constantly looking for something Magnus hasn't done so they would do together since Magnus was always showing Alec new things both inside and outside the bedroom. "Please stop."

"You know Jace," Magnus went on completely ignoring Alec's plead to shut up. "There is a reason Alec and I are not morning people. Izzy makes fun of us all the time for it but really we don't have a lot of time to be alone. We work, we have children that demand our attention, their homework, their sports, housework and an endless list of things going on every day. Alec and I have a very active and healthy private life because make our alone time at night when the kids are sleeping. It means for late nights with little sleep but once you have a baby that doesn't sleep well at night anyway, you get used to it over time."

"I miss sleeping with my wife," Jace whined.

"I think you mean you miss having sexual relations with your wife." Magnus felt inclined to fix the sentence for him.

"Trust us, Jace, we are actually really bad at making time for ourselves and it makes our relationship difficult sometimes. Magnus and I have always put the kids first over everything but there are some aspects of your relationship you shouldn't shrink away from." Alec gave him a sad smile, "Date nights or days are some time Magnus and I suck at."

"We are getting better at them." Magnus cut in, "Trust me, you need to find the time. Sex isn't everything in a relationship but being intimate is very good for the relationship."

They heard the fussing begin then, Christopher Alexander Lightwood was awake and wanted attention.

"All yours, daddy." Magnus slapped Jace on the shoulder and pointed towards the living room.


	2. Max vs the Bully

**Chapter 2 – Max vs. the Bully**

Alec felt his nerves go up with the passing seconds in the tiny cramped office. There were books, papers, and samples piled high on every surface except the desk their wedding planner used for her computer. The computer was currently facing them with layouts of two different venues side by side on the screen. They were here to pick a location and then the planner would get started with décor and flowers. Alec didn't want flowers but Magnus did, so, they got flowers. Alec wasn't sure why he was even at the meeting; Magnus was taking full force on the planning and Alec was sitting back to watch for the most part.

"Alec, what do you think?"

Alec finally looked up from his phone when his name was called, "To be honest, I don't care for either. I've been to both and they are both-" He froze midsentence, he wanted to say cheap but he felt that was rude. "-uhm. You know." He finished lamely, moving his hand in a circular motion to help his point, which did not help. Earning strange looks from both of them.

Magnus frowned, "I don't know that's why I asked."

"Cheap." Alec sighed, "Cheap." He repeated for added effect, "I've been to both venues and I didn't like either of them. The Gardens look fake and have about five plants around an archway and Candlelight has nothing but plastic white pillars that are a poor excuse for an archway. They both look cheap." Alec didn't like the new look on Magnus' face any better than the frown. "Sorry." He went back to looking at his phone.

Magnus looked at the wedding planner, "What other options do you have?" Alec had barely said anything about the wedding planning and so if he didn't like the venues, then he wasn't going to use them. He wanted Alec to say more about their wedding but Alec wanted to go to the courthouse and Magnus wanted more. He wanted to be in a tailored suit with Alec announcing to all their family and friends that he could him for the rest of his life. They loved each other and he wanted to display it. They compromised with a small wedding with just a few guests, a maximum of thirty. Alec held firm at that number so Magnus was holding firm.

Mrs. Castle turned her computer back to her, "Well, I have other options. I do have a couple getting married at the Whitney next weekend."

Alec sat up straight then, "I like the Whitney." He looked to Magnus who was staring back at him, "I haven't been there since high school. My parents took me there for my senior graduation dinner." He got a warm smile on his face at the memory, "It was our dinner together without my siblings. Jace and Izzy had to stay home. It's a pretty mansion. Pretty gardens."

"I like it." Magnus nodded, "Call them and let's get a tour." That made up his mind, no matter what the place looked like to him, if Alec had good memories of it with his parents then this is where they were getting married.

"It can be costly."

Magnus nodded, "This is the first thing Alec has liked about this wedding other than his ring. Take care of it." He gave her a look that made her shut off her retort and nod at him. "Also, I want white everything for the centerpieces. Silver and white with hints of black is the theme. We are halfway done with the guest list and will have that for you at our next meeting."

"I have two photographers lined up for the next meeting as well. Have you decided on engagement photos or just post-wedding photos?"

"No." Alec watched both of them, "I do not want engagement photos."

"Yes, we will be doing them but I want them to include our children. We have no family photos-" Magnus stared Alec down while he gapped at him for being trumped again, "-and this will be a good opportunity to include them in the package. And of course, we want after the wedding photos. Some around the venue and others around the city. I do love the layout of Detroit."

"So why, am I here if nothing I say goes?"

Magnus patted Alec's leg, "You are picking the venue. That's important. Besides, you wanted to get family photos taken. We talked about it last week; this is a good way to get them and not have to pay for two photographers." He left his hand on Alec's leg to hopefully relax him a bit.

"I was thinking JC Penny's." Alec groaned.

Magnus frowned, "That will never happen so long as I live, Alexander."

Mrs. Castle took them in stride and went on as if they never debated a thing; she was often so good at that which amazed Alec. After all this was their second meeting with her and their small bickering didn't faze her the first time. "Have you spoken to the travel agent about your honeymoon? Do you need anything post-wedding too and from?"

Alec groaned another discussion they had put off because they could not make up their minds on. Magnus glared at Alec again, "Still debating on location but we will find our own way around. As for that night, the wedding night will be at home. Nothing for you to take care of." Their biggest issue was if they wanted a romantic hideaway or if they wanted to make it into a family vacation. Magnus wanted romantic, but Alec was leaning towards the family. They were in a small ongoing fight about the honeymoon.

"One last thing, writing vows or traditional."

"Traditional." Magnus and Alec spoke at the same time.

"Finally, god, I was beginning to think we would never agree on anything." Magnus put his hand over his heart with a roll of his eyes.

Alec grinned, "Still just as dramatic as usual. Good to see."

He winked at him, "I have to dramatic for both of us." Magnus went back to speaking to Mrs. Castle, "We want them traditional but I would like to review them in case we decide to make slight changes." Translation; Magnus was going to make slight changes.

"Of course," She smiled, "That will be all for today. I'll call when I have the tour setup and the meeting with the photographers. I'll make them for the same day if possible."

Alec shook her hand and practically bolted from the office, the craved in feeling was driving him up a wall, and at least their next meeting would not be in her office. He waited just outside the door for Magnus to catch up to him, "I'm thinking Five Guys for lunch. I want a burger."

"I do love the name of that restaurant." Magnus nodded, taking Alec's hand in his to walk to the car.

"Shut up, you weirdo." Alec grinned at him, Magnus was being dramatic again with his not so angry glare. "Besides that seems like an awful lot of work to keep up with." He shuttered at the thought.

Magnus arched an eyebrow, "And we'll never find out."

The walk to the car and the drive over was uneventful after that but Magnus kept the jokes coming when they sat down with their food. The inside was kind of busy, so they opted for sitting outside which really allowed Magnus open reign to speak his mind on the jokes; at one point Alec turned so red Magnus was afraid he was going to die on him. Even spitting his pop out at one of then, that's when he got the death glare and knew to stop.

When they finished, it was close to one in the afternoon and they wanted to head home for some alone time before picking up the kids from school. It was almost the end of the year. Max had finished kindergarten strong while Raphael needed a little extra help. Max learned best from reading a book while Raphael learned best from explanation and sometimes he didn't get enough of that in class. Depending on the night would decide who was helping them with their lessons. But soon, they would be out of school and into summer programs.

"I'll meet you by the car; I'm going to the restroom to wash my hands."

Alec nodded heading to the car when his phone rang; he knew it was the school's number. "Hello?"

" _Good afternoon, Mr. Lightwood, this is Abby from Wattles Elementary. I regret to be calling you with this but there was an incident on the playground just now and we need you to come pick up Max."_

Alec froze, his keys in his hands, almost ready to unlock his car door. Magnus was walking towards him but not close enough to hear the conversation. "Incident? What type of incident?"

"He got into a fight. He fell and hit his arm on the metal pole of the swing set; his arm has swollen up pretty fast and is starting to discolor with a bruise." The office assistant spoke calmly.

Alec felt the burn in his stomach return which he now knew was his anxiety. "I'm on my way. Did he fall or was he pushed?" He felt Magnus come up to him, "Was Raphael involved?"

"Yes, both children were involved. However, Raphael is fine with staying in class until the end of the day. And I have a full report waiting for you."

"I'll be there in ten minutes. Pull Raphael from class. I'll be taking both children home with me." Alec clicked his phone off once she said her understanding. He looked at Magnus who had a look on his face, "Max got into a fight on the playground and got hurt. Raphael was involved."

"So much for our afternoon off having sex. Let's get the boys." Magnus put his hand in Alec's for the drive over, "Max is going to be fine."

The drive took a little longer than ten minutes with the road construction that Michigan is so known for. The burn was worsening at they got closer.

Magnus reached out to hold his hand, "You okay?"

Alec sighed, "It's his first year in kindergarten and he's already getting into fights. At least he made it to the end of the year." Max was always the warrior, quick to act and take care of his little friends. Alec had already spoken to Magnus about being so outspoken so young could mean problems.

Magnus laughed, "I'm sure there's a good reason."

Alec pulled into the parking lot, "If he hurt his arm as bad as they say, I have to take him to the hospital." He pocketed his keys and took up Magnus' hand. Magnus leaned in for a quick kiss to his cheek while they walked, "We should have gotten your car first."

Magnus pulled open the door and ushered Alec in ahead of him. "Nah, we're good. Raphael and I can walk home if you need. It's only a half mile."

They went to the office at a steady pace; it wasn't too far from the main door. Raphael was sitting in the plastic chairs with his light hoodie coat and backpack on the floor in front of him.

"Dad." He stood up, getting his bag and going to Magnus who bent down to pick him up. He let a tear fall before burying his face in Magnus' shoulder.

Alec went to the desk to sign them in, "Where's Max?"

Abby was standing by the desk, "We have him in back with the nurse."

"What happened?" Magnus asked, coming to stand by Alec.

Abby sighed, "Billy Abbott was picking on Raphael over a swing. When Raphael was walking away the teacher turned her back but Max came out. I don't know what was said but Billy pushed Max and he landed against the metal swing bars and on his wrist."

Alec was already heading towards the nurse's station as Abby spoke with Magnus.

"Has this Billy been sent home?"

Abby nodded, "Yes, his parents just picked him up. He has been pulled from class until next week and we had a conference with his parents. He will be given one more chance on the playground with a teacher before he will be removed from school. We have a strong stance on bullying."

Their voices seemed to fade away when Alec got to the back to see the nurse standing there with Max on an elevated cot looking bed. He was laying down with his arm across his stomach with a sucker in his other hand and tears on his cheeks; they were red and his hair pushed back from his forehead, someone had tried to calm him down, "Max?" Alec felt his stomach twist.

The nurse looked up at him with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Lightwood."

Max spoke at the same time, "Daddy." More tears were falling at a steady pace now.

"Hey, buddy." Alec came over to kiss him on the foreheads and running a hand over his cheeks. He smiled at him, but the sadness was just behind his eyes. "How's the arm?" It was beginning to bruise; it was red and swollen.

"If I had to guess, I would say it's broken. He should go to the hospital." The nurse answered.

Alec nodded, "Can I take him now?" Max was already reaching for him, the sucker lay forgotten on the white sheets.

"Yep," She handed him a piece of paper, "Here's my report; you should take it with you to the doctor." She smiled at Max, "See ya later, little man." She looked at Alec, "Oh here," she handed him a circular blue ice pack. "Have him keep this on his wrist for the time being."

"Thank you." Alec bent down, trying to pick up Max without hurting his wrist further, "Come on, Magnus and Raphael are waiting for us." Max wrapped his legs as far as he could around Alec's waist and nestled his head on his shoulder, holding his wrist against his chest; the tears had slowed but not stopped. Alec sighed, he knew his son was sensitive and in pain. He went out to the front desk. The tears were beginning to soak into his white button-down work shirt.

Abby smiled, "Hey, Max, feel better okay?" She looked at Alec again, "Magnus signed him out, and they're outside."

Alec nodded, "If this is a case of my children being bullied I will be back. I want a conference with Billy's parents."

She nodded, "When they come in on Monday I'll speak to them and set it up."

"Max won't be in school tomorrow. He'll return on Monday." He waited for Abby to nod and left the front office.

Magnus was standing outside and held the far door open for Alec and Max, Raphael was sitting on the stone bench not far from the front door, staring down at his feet which were swinging out in front of him. "Hey, buddy."

Max lifted his head up to look at Magnus, "My arm hurts."

"I know. It's going to be okay." Magnus smiled at him, "We're going to walk home; I think it will be good for Raphael. Call me." Magnus kissed Max's disheveled hair and then Alec; soft and gentle on the lips. They usually tamed themselves down in public especially in family sights; not everyone was okay with gay parents and they didn't want to be put in those situations where people weren't okay with them. Tame usually meant no physical contact whatsoever but right now, he didn't care. Alec was reeling, he could see it and he was going to comfort him if he wanted.

Alec nodded, licking his lips after the kiss. "Raphael, come here." He bent down when he got close enough, "I love you." He kissed his forehead then stood back up. "Bye." Alec toted Max to the car when Magnus yelled he loved them after him. He turned around with a small wink then all his focus was back to Max. Max whined when Alec got to the car, "It's okay buddy, we are going to the hospital and we will get your all fixed up." Alec picked up a forgotten stuffed animal from the car floor, "Hold onto him." It was a polar bear from their most recent zoo visit. They had the annual passes and spent many Saturdays there. Alec leaned in to kiss his forehead again, "Let's go."

The trip to the hospital took longer than Alec would have liked, they were in the waiting room for half an hour, then in the back for x-rays for another hour. His arm was broken and would need a cast. He picked a light blue and Alec promised he would write on it the second they got home. Max did better with his whining, putting on a brave face for the doctor, the tears stopped but he looked like an exhausted five-year-old mess. Alec kept sitting on his bed, snuggling him; pulling up a book on his phone to read to him. The whole process took almost six hours then they made a trip to the pharmacy for some liquid Tylenol and ice cream. He promised Max if he braved the pain, he would get him some ice cream. He only got the chance to call Magnus once since his phone decided to die in the middle of getting the cast. It was close to eight when they finally made it home; the house was quiet and dark when he unlocked the door.

Alec gave him his ice cream and ran his hands over Max's unruly hair before heading off to find Magnus.

Magnus looked up from his book when Alec finally made it to their bedroom. "Hey, I've been calling you."

"Phone died." Alec threw it on their bed, "Max is downstairs with a bowl of ice cream. I'm going to wash him up; then he gets Tylenol and bedtime."

"Raphael was pretty exhausted; he went down close to an hour ago. I talked to him for a bit but I think you should too. I tried to tell him it's going to be okay but I don't think he believes me." Magnus went up to his knees, discarding his book, "How are you?"

"Tired. I'm sure Raphael is feeling bad because he also hasn't seen Max since he got hurt. I'll make sure to talk to him tomorrow. I have to call to get Max into a doctor next week; the cast will need to be redone once the swelling goes down. I also have to call Tessa." Alec kissed Magnus, putting his hands on Magnus' waist to steady each other. "I also need to change."

"You change, I'll go see Max and get him washed up." Magnus kissed him again before going for Alec's phone, plugging it in before going downstairs.

It was a very long night for Alec because Max wouldn't settle down, he wasn't whining but his arm hurt and he couldn't stop thinking about it enough to fall asleep. After almost two hours of fidgeting, Alec finally gave up and brought Max into their room for the night. Magnus was dead to the world and didn't even stir when he placed Max in the center of the bed. His firm rule on no kids in bed with them was broken on rare occasions and this was one of them. Max settled down with his stuffed animal tuck in Alec's side enough to rest but that didn't help Alec get to sleep. He was exhausted but his worry over Max was nonstop, he kept watching him sleep, playing with his hair. Alec was worried that Max would hurt his arm move in their bed but for the first time in hours he finally setting down and went to sleep.

Magnus' alarm went off too early and Alec groaned followed by Max's whine when Magnus rolled over to see Alec and came face to face with Max instead. He wasn't shocked but he frowned all the same, "You are not my boyfriend." He pocked Max in the side which earned him a giggle. Alec rolled over to look at him but shook his head. "Go back to sleep." He kissed Alec and left their bed. Max shifted over and was almost straight back to sleep with Alec quickly following. Magnus couldn't really be mad; Max was in pain and Alec was exhausted. Magnus knew without a doubt if the roles had been reserved, he would have done the same with bringing Raphael into their bedroom.

Magnus was surprised when he made it downstairs to see Raphael was already up and playing with his toys, "Awake so early?" Raphael already dressed himself down to the pair of shoes on his feet.

"I went to see Max but he was gone. Can I stay home?" He went to his dad who stopped in the doorway.

"Max and Alec are sleeping in our room. You need to go to school." Magnus knelt down in front of him, he saw the look in his eyes, and this was not a fight he was going to win with just words. "That kid, Billy, who pushed Max isn't going to be there if you're worried about that."

"I wanna stay home."

"Raphael-"

"Why don't you go shower and I'll talk to him?" Alec called from the door, he still had the sleepiness in his eyes and his slightly too long hair was messed all over his head. He raised his eyebrows at him. They did this all the time with the boys, divide and conquer to get them to do what they wanted the boys to do.

Magnus groaned, he knew that look, "You've already given in." He shook his head and left the room.

Alec grinned at Raphael, "You're going to school. Come here." Alec bent down and collected Raphael in his arms when he saw the tears coming; he carried him upstairs to their room where Max was still sleeping and Magnus was getting ready for the day. Alec laid him on the bed and knelt down to be eye level with him. "Why don't you want to go?"

"I wanna stay with Max." He wiped his cheek, "It's my fault."

"What do you mean?" Magnus came out of the bathroom then having taken the quickest shower of his life.

Raphael wiped his other cheek, "Max got hurt because of me. I want to stay with him."

Alec rubbed Raphael's arms while Magnus went to change into some work clothes, he didn't want to stand around in a towel while they were having this conversation. This was an area that neither Alec nor Magnus had any experience in. Alec didn't know how to get Raphael to understand it wasn't his fault while still letting him know the situation isn't okay, but they were dealing with it.

"It's not your fault Max got hurt. The school said Billy was being a bully to you and Max was just defending him. The school is working with his parents to make sure this never happens again. Dad and I will be having a meeting with the school and Billy's parents as well." Alec rubbed his arms again, "I think you should go to school today. Billy isn't going to be there and it's going to be okay. Max is going to be doing a lot of resting today and not playing."

Magnus came out of the closet with a tie in his hands, "Raphael, are you scared to go to school?"

"No, I just want to help Max get better."

Alec looked up at Magnus who nodded, "Would you feel better going back to school on Monday when Max goes with you?"

Raphael nodded at him, looking over at his father. "I wanna stay with brother." He whispered so softly, Magnus could hardly hear the words.

"I can't take today off, so it's your call if you want him to stay home." Magnus kissed the side of Raphael's head.

Alec nodded. "Alright," he reached forward and took Raphael shoes off then went to work on the light hoodie he insisted on wearing all the time. "You can stay home, but Max needs to rest, and Monday everyone goes back to school."

Raphael crawled up the bed to lay next to Max, tucking his father's pillow under his head. Magnus kissed his forehead and pulled the blanket up over him.

Alec busied himself with getting his phone then held out his hand to get Magnus to come with him, he pulled him downstairs, shutting their door almost all the way closed as they left. "I have to call Tessa and Henry."

"I'll call the school on my way into the office." Magnus kissed Alec and went for his shoes.

"We're not bad for letting him stay home even though he's not sick?" Alec asked from his seat on the couch arm, "I mean he's kinda sick."

"He's upset. I think you were right last night; it didn't help that he hasn't seen Max since he got hurt. The boys are so close; I think I should have kept Raphael up to see Max when he came home." Magnus shook his head; there was no changing that now, "He'll be fine once Max wakes up and he sees he's okay."

Alec nodded, reaching in for another kiss as Magnus stepped up to him, "I have to call this orthopedic surgeon's office for another appointment for Max, should be for a new cast but it's a surgeon's office." The underlying question hung in the air, Alec was nervous of the unknown.

"He'll be fine, they just need to put a new cast on in a few days. Give Raphael some markers and let him go to town on the cast. Should give you, what, like five- ten minutes of peace." Magnus kissed him lightly for a third time before pulling out his phone, "I have to call the school. I'll call you later."

"If they're feeling better, maybe we can meet for lunch." Alec walked him to the door, expecting a fourth kiss before Magnus left, he was granted that kiss but it wasn't long enough for his liking.

"Call Tessa and the new guy." Magnus reminded him and left.

Alec shut the door behind him with a sigh. His new sub-account manager looked great on paper but he had only been in the office for a few weeks and Alec's opinion was still out. He was a good employee but after Underhill, he had his reservations about hiring anyone who looked good on paper but had limited experience. Everyone in the office tip-toed around him for almost two months before the entire office went under new sexual harassment training. During the training, someone asked him point blank if the rumors were true about him being attacked by Underhill. Alec faced his fears and got in front of the HR staff and told his story; he was scared and part of him didn't want to but he knew he had to. The rumors were getting worse and he had to set the record straight for his sanity. It helped, getting up there and talking about; and the rumors appeared to have stopped. They waited to hire against Underhill's position for a while before settling in on Henry. He was decent so far but Alec was holding out on his judgment.

He had to call Tessa and start coffee, or he was going to be a walking zombie. He knew the boys well enough; they wouldn't be asleep for long. This was going to be a very long day.


	3. Career Changes Pt I

**Chapter 3 – Career Changes Pt. I**

"Alec, I'm sorry but the promotion was given to Will." Tessa sighed while speaking. She hated doing this, she personally voted for Alec but the panel had other ideas. No one would come out and say it but she knew it had something to do with his issues with the company.

"I understand." He didn't understand but he let it go. He was younger but he was already a team lead, he did, however, have more seniority with the company and he had been in the field longer than Will but they saw something in Will that they didn't see in him. "Can I ask what I can improve upon?" He had all fives in his reviews every year and almost always got his raise when the company gave out raises.

"Nothing. You got top marks but so did Will."

"So it came down to personalities." Alec nodded, he knew what it came down to. He caused the company a lot of issues when the investigation was concluded with Underhill, by law they had to press charges which were settled out of court but it was all on the company dime. Underhill hand single handled ruined his career in the company and Alec had done nothing wrong. When the report was finalized, the course of action came down that Alec should have spoken up soon rather than waiting the few months that he did wait. Somehow he felt less and less like a victim. "We both know what this is about. I'm sunk in this company. I'll never move up. I'll stay in this position until they find a legal reason to fire me."

Tessa sat up forward in her chair; she hated the look on Alec's face because they both knew he was right and she was about to lie to him. "That's not true."

"I was a victim but it doesn't matter. My name is ruined in this company." Alec sat back, "I was wrong for waiting but until you're in that situation you will never understand the embarrassment or shame of actually being in that situation. No one knows what they will or won't do until they are in it themselves, everyone can talk about what they should do all they want but what you should do from the outside and what actually happens on the inside are two very, very different things."

"Alec, I'm really sorry. I wish I could help but my hands are tied. Will got the promotion." She sat back to mimic his position.

Alec nodded, "Thank you."

"How's Max doing?"

He sighed, she was just doing her job and he knew that but it still hurt to be passed over for a position not because of not being good enough but because someone else's actions tainted you. "The cast came off on Friday. He has to go to physical therapy for a few sessions to learn these exercises to get full motion back but nothing that a few safe exercises can't fix."

"Awe, that's good. He's a trooper. And the kid who pushed him?"

"He actually pushed another kid last week and the little girl got a cut on her forehead. The school sent a letter home to all the parents. He's been removed from school." Her attempt at distracting him wasn't working and he had to know, "Tessa, be honest with me, if I wanted to advance my career should I be looking at other companies?"

"Officially, no." She was quick to say, then pause before continuing, "Unofficially, I would keep your options open."

Alec nodded, he felt like that was the only thing he could do. "Thanks for being honest with me. You know that's what's broken in today's corporate culture; the victims pay the price." He couldn't be in her office anymore; he got up and left without a goodbye. He knew it was rude; he just didn't care anymore.

He saw Will and Jem standing outside his office when he finally made it back to their floor, "Congratulations, Will." Alec smiled and stuck out his hand for a shake, it wasn't Will's fault and he would do a fantastic job but that didn't stop the ache he felt over his company punishing him. "You will be amazing."

"Don't think I don't know you were a better man for the job, you have been a team lead for a year and a half longer than me." He took Alec's hand with a smile.

He laughed, "Nah, come on, don't talk that way. You are good at your job too."

"Jem and I are going for a drink after work; I want you to come."

Alec shook his head, "I can't. Magnus has a dinner meeting with his boss and I have to get the kids from school today. I'll buy you lunch next week."

"Fine, but I would rather it be a beer."

"Alright, alright, I'll see which day Magnus can get the kids next week and we can go out for a beer after work." Alec slapped his hand on the back of Will's shoulder and went for his office, "I'm serious! Congratulations, Will!" Alec called over his shoulder with a glance. Will was a good teammate and honestly, handled the whole Underhill situation better than anyone else. He had become a close work friend and he couldn't take his frustration out on him. He got the job and he would do a damn good job at it, Alec had to focus on that. Focus on the good. And update his resume.

…

Alec came home and dropped down on one of the back porch seats; the boys were already running off towards their playset. Finally, he pulled the chair out from the shade into the direct setting sun. He leaned back to take in the sun. His head was pounding and the kids were too loud but the sun felt good. He was trying to tune out their giggling and yelling; they were playing with the soccer ball in the grass now after the swings became boring.

"Alec?" Magnus came over and put his hand on Alec's shoulder, "How long have you been out here?"

"Uhm, twenty minutes." He looked at his phone; he had a missed call and a voicemail from a random number that looked familiar. Ignoring them he looked back up at Magnus, the kids still giggling in the background. "I should start dinner."

"You okay?"

Alec nodded, "Yeah, tired."

Dinner and putting the kids to bed with baths took up the rest of their evening. Alec even allowed ice cream and gaming time, which was usually only allowed on weekends. He spent the rest of the night in a haze, barely noticing when the boys or Magnus spoke to him. He had to shake himself out of his own brain more than once to focus on the activities around him. He saw the sad look in Magnus' eyes, it brought on bad memories but he just sighed and went about his evening. He would talk to Magnus after the kids went to bed, this was not a conversation he wanted to have with them running around. He was upset enough overwork, again. He smiled at Magnus and gave him a deep kiss when Magnus said he was going out for a run. He told him to hurry back, hopefully relieving a bit of Magnus' anxiety over him being in a fog.

Alec began a new book while Magnus took his post-run shower before bed, the kids when down easy and that left Alec with a little extra time on his hands, he thought about joining Magus in the shower but gave up that thought as his book pulled him in and took the haze away for a minute.

Magnus smirked, Alec couldn't have been in a better position if he told him what he wanted. He was sitting on their bed with his left knee up and a book propped on his knee. Magnus crawled his way up the bed, hooking an hand on Alec's leg starting at his ankle and running his hand up to his raised knee, then pulling him down to him, so Alec was laying on his back. Alec smiled, dropping his book to the floor; his page number forgotten with the discarded book. Magnus pressed himself into Alec, hooking his raised knee on his waist, and going in for the kiss.

Magnus pushed Alec hard into the mattress, grinding his hips and groin into Alec, enticing a moan he swallowed with his kiss, and using the opportunity to use his tongue to battle against Alec's. He pulled back for a breath then dived back into the embrace, rubbing his hand up and down Alec's hooked leg, and tilting his head for the added pressure. He loved the feel of Alec's tight boxer briefs in his hands; they were black and made out of an off silk material that allowed Magnus ease of access when he wanted to rub his hands over him. The material was cool to the touch and inviting. He kissed him again and again until he lost count, grinding against him as he went making them both hard in the process.

"I'm bribing you," Magnus whispered against Alec's lips finally.

"Oh yes, bribe away." Alec returned with a groan. "Yes, please." He tipped his head back, allowing Magnus access to his neck.

Magnus slipped his hand down Alec's leg going into his underwear, sliding hand against skin, going straight to Alec's ass, cupping it with a squeeze and grinding against him again. "I'm gonna fuck you then you are going to explain why you have been in a sad haze all evening."

Alec groaned, Magnus usually wasn't the type to use that language in bed, snarky sexual comments yes but talk of fucking, that was out of character. Once in a while, it came out and it has the effect of making him harder. Alec felt his pre-cum leaking; he would do anything for Magnus at this point. He sighed, into Magnus' lips when he met him for a kiss. Alec pushed hard, twisting them, rolling them until he was on top. Resting his hands on either side of Magnus' head while Magnus squeezed his ass again, holding him in place.

"I got passed over for the promotion. It was given to Will." Alec bent down for a kiss but Magnus twisted his head in question. "This is what I need. Fuck me. Talk later."

Magnus rolled them over again, going up onto his knees to look down at Alec. He smirked as he hooked his hands on Alec's underwear, pulling hard to slid them up and off. He held onto Alec's ankles, keeping them up against his shoulders. Magnus pushed his shorts down just enough to pull himself free. He licked his palm and went for Alec's ass again, "I think I can manage that."

Magnus and Alec spent the next two hours getting each other to fall off that edge in passion and come. Switching positions and pressure. Getting close to the edge then backing up just too amp each other up again. The cycle continued over and over again until Magnus finally let them tip over.

They laid in bed for another hour after that, their bodies red hot on fire, the slick sweat and cum mixed on each other. Neither could talk for almost ten minutes after due to their lack of oxygen and heavy breathing. Finally, Magnus turned to get up on his elbow to start the conversation. He wanted to know everything Alec was feeling. He wanted to know what he could do to make Alec feel better. He wanted to sue his company for holding Alec back for being a victim. He wanted to have sex with him again. He wanted all those things but he settled for listening and then sleeping since it was Thursday and they both had to work in the morning. Magnus wanted to take all of Alec's pain away, Underhill had taken so much of Alec and the nightmare was still going on in Alec's head from time to time. There was nothing Magnus could do but listen, so that's what he did. He listened and kissed Alec when they both needed that feeling of ordinary. They ended up staying up until almost three in the morning. After their long talk, Magnus took it upon himself to give Alec one more round of pleasure with a deep blow job, it relaxed him and put him straight to sleep. Magnus stayed up watching him for another twenty minutes before he finally allowed sleep to take him.

….

"Alexander Lightwood?"

Alec looked up from his computer when there was a knock on his office door, "Yes?"

"Michael Kane from Kane Services." Kane walked over to Alec's desk, shutting the door behind him. "I called you yesterday."

Alec looked out his office window to the bullpen of cubicles beyond before glancing back at Mr. Kane, he knew of him but had never met the man before. Kane Services was the company he interviewed with last year, he declined his second interview after the incident here, and he was willing to stay with his company last year. Another mistake Alec thought about from time to time. One of the 'what ifs' that plagued him when he thought about it, usually he could force himself out of those thoughts, but with Michael Kane standing in his office it was a little harder not to think about.

"Don't look so panicked I'm here for official business, sort of." He smiled, handing Alec his business card and taking a seat in front of his desk. "Our companies will be working together on a new contract. It hasn't been announced yet but Tessa said you would be given the contract in the next few days. I just wanted to come up here and introduce myself."

Alec nodded, looking at the business card over before setting it down on his closed laptop lid, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kane. Good to know our companies will be working together. Who's my counterpart at your company that I'll be working with?"

"Actually, I was hoping you would be the one working for my company and you would have a counterpart back here." Michael Kane smiled.

Alec knew that smile; it was slightly off-putting as Michael Kane was a man known for getting his way.

Kane Services have been in the HR business since HR became a business. The company has almost 100 years of experience and is one of the leaders in HR contracts. He wanted to get his internship with them but was denied for the only student in his program with higher grades them him. If you were in HR, then Kane Services was your dream job. He was stupid to turn down his second interview but he loved his current company and the reduced salary was an enormous hit compared to what he was making now. The CEO of Kane Services was Michael's father, Henry Kane. He sent his children out on a rotation basis to manage their largest corporate offices. Their Michigan HQ was in the middle of downtown, right in the middle of the automotive action. Their most significant contracts in Michigan was all about the car companies.

"You declined our second interview."

"Yes, the package deal that was spoken about in the first interview was not what I expected and I had a reason to stay here." Alec didn't know if he should be having this conversation here, in fact, he was sure he shouldn't be having this conversation while at work.

"You had a 4.13 GPA in your undergrad; I didn't even know that was possible to go higher than a 4.0." Kane smiled, "You rocked your internship that they hired you two weeks in. You became the youngest supervisor here and you have been a team lead for the last three years gaining that title less than two years with the company. Tessa showed me some of your recent work and its great quality. She even showed me a package you redid on sexual harassment. Interesting approach, I liked that one best." He tilted his head to get a good look at Alec, "And you did all this while being a single parent. Your resume, your list of accomplishments, and your work results are very impressive."

Alec was shocked at the amount of information he had on him, "Thank you, Mr. Kane."

"I'm not going to beat around the bush; I want you working for my company. I will pay your salary plus ten percent, full benefits with 401K, and yearly bonuses." Kane righted himself in his chair, "I'm short staffed by a contract lead and an HR group chief. I need the help and I need it now. You're young but I want you as my group chief."

Alec didn't know what to say or do; this was a dream offer, "If, and I mean it, if I were to leave my current position I would need to give two weeks. I'm not going to leave Tessa without that courtesy. And I wouldn't be able to give you an answer today."

"I respect the two weeks." He nodded, "Why can't I have an answer now? This is a perfect offer for you."

The next words were going to pain Alec, he really wanted to accept his offer on the spot, it was perfect, but he had to speak to Magnus first. He didn't do it last time and it had hurt them both. "I have a family Mr. Kane, two small children and a fiancée; I can't make a huge career choice without speaking to my family. I'm sorry I cannot give you an answer now."

"I can understand that my wife would want the same respect. How about dinner on Wednesday? You can bring your partner and an answer."

"I'll give you a call, Mr. Kane." Alec held up his business card to remind him he had his information and would use it.

There was a knock on his door, "Come in." Alec stood up with Mr. Kane; it was time for him to leave no matter who was at his door.

To his surprise, Magnus popped his head in, "Hey, I wanted to do lunch if you're free." Magnus softened his smile when he noticed Alec had someone in his office. "Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting."

Alec nodded, "I'm free. Magnus, this is Michael Kane from Kane Services. Mr. Kane this is my fiancée, Magnus Bane."

"You're a lawyer, aren't you? I've seen you around my lawyer's office." Mr. Kane narrowed his eyes, trying to place Magnus in a more suitable situation where he had seen him before. He was almost positive it was at the law firm.

"Yes, I am a lawyer. Have we met?" Magnus extended his hand.

Kane took his hand, "No, never met but I've seen you. I just offered your partner a Group Chief position at my company. I'm used to getting my way and I want him at my company. You should convince him to take my offer." He nodded to Alec then Magnus in turn and left.

Magnus watched him leave then turned back to Alec, "What was that about?"

"He offered me my dream job, with the salary and benefits I want." Alec came around his desk to lean against the edge. "He wants me to start as soon as I can put my two weeks in but I told him I needed to speak to you first."

Magnus went to Alec; this was only the second time he had come to his office. He hated being in here; it brought on bad memories. He didn't know where the attack happened but he knew it was within these four walls. The first time he came by his office, Magnus felt himself looking at each wall and imagining the worst; when he left he had to pull his car over and throw up with the thought of Alec going to work every day in the same office where Underhill laid his hands on him. Magnus didn't know how Alec came here every day, but he was a better man than him. He never told Alec his thoughts or him getting sick over it, that was something for his mind only, "If it's a dream job then take it."

"It's downtown. The drive is going to be almost an hour, if not more. We are going to have to adjust our schedules with the kids." Alec frowned, "They will have to go to after-school care, which we didn't want to do."

"Alexander," Magnus pushed his way between Alec's legs to get as close as possible, rubbing his hands over Alec's arms; finding their final resting place on Alec's shoulders. He moved his right hand up further to run his thumb over his jaw. He had to kiss him then; he kept it light since Alec's window blinds were still open. He wanted to comfort Alec, a part of him wanted Alec to remember this about his office not the incident, but that couldn't happen with the blinds open, "We will do what we have to do. If that's after school care then, latchkey it is. If this is the career move you need to be happy with work again, then I won't hold you back. We will make it work with the boys."

"It's really that easy for you."

"Yes," Magnus kept his hands in place even if he wanted to kiss him again, he had to hold himself back, "Daddy needs to make the big bucks so I can quit my job and be a stay at home dad."

"Daddy?" Alec blanked out at that word.

"Trying something new."

"No," Alec shook his head, "Try again."

Magnus threw his head back in laughter, "Just you wait, babe. I'll sneak it in there one of these days."

"Never do that. Ever, ever again." Alec smirked, "Let's go eat."

Magnus leaned in close to his ear so he could whisper, "You can always call me 'daddy'." He kissed just below his ear with a stupid grin on his face. "I could be very responsive to that."

"God, I hate you." Alec pushed back on him with a matching grin, "That will never happen."

"Ah, it was worth a try." Magnus kissed him quickly; pulling back with a soft smile.

Alec shook his head, "Let's go, you weirdo." He held out his hand to walk him out of the room.


	4. Moving On

**Chapter 4 – Moving On**

Magnus took a deep breath trying to hide his nerves from Alec, he was gearing up for a fight, well he hoped it wasn't a fight but he knew this was going to be a hard sell for him to make to Alec. He tensed slightly and went for it. "You want a baby, I want a baby, but we don't have room in our current condo. We need to move."

Magnus and Alec were at the park with the boys; they were playing with some kids from school. One of the little girls in Max's class was having her birthday party in the park and they were sitting back and watching the kids play before cake and ice cream. The other parents were around either socializing or talking amongst themselves. It was a clear, cloudless day and Magnus was snuggled closer to Alec's side with a hand in his. "We need to move."

"What are you talking about? We just move Max down to the larger room with Raphael then we will have the room upstairs." He was not okay with selling his parent's house.

Magnus sighed, "The boys will soon be at that age where they should have their own rooms. We can afford a larger house and I think we should look before you just say no."

"Magnus, you know what this house means to me."

"I do, but what if we want another baby. Four kids in that tiny house will not work." He sighed again; he was resting heavily on Alec. Magnus hurt his back when he was move bricks around in their front yard a few days ago and was having a hard time sitting up straight ever since. He had his heating pad, which would normally have helped but he left it at home.

Alec watched the kids playing, "Four kids? You really want my baby don't you?" He smirked.

"We have yet to decide on a surrogate or adoption." If Magnus had been facing him; he would have chosen this moment to wink at Alec with a smirk, his normal snarky, sexual comment self, "It could be my baby."

Many of their talks lately revolved around having a child. They were undecided on which route they wanted to take but both were leaning heavily on a surrogate, but yet, they couldn't lock down what they wanted for their family just yet. Magnus wanted Alec to be the father because he didn't have a biological child of his own; he wanted Alec to have that thrill of being a father to his own flesh and blood. They would never treat Max or Raphael any different, but he wanted Alec to have that. He never told Alec that was his reasoning; he would keep that secret to himself for now. He was unsure on how to tell Alec his reason without sounding like an asshole.

"If we got the surrogate route you will be the father."

"Why?" Alec continued to watch the kids, he wanted to look at Magnus but Alec knew he was in a lot of pain, so he just allowed him to rest against him. He focused his attention on Max instead, he used his left arm while cradling his right still, he need to run over his physical therapy movements. He should do that now before it got to late.

"Because I want you to be the father of our children." Magnus sighed, changing his position with a lot of energy required on his part. He sat up a little straighter, "Listen, I'm being serious. We need to move to a bigger house. The condo might have enough rooms if we doubled up but it is small. We would have to take the gym and the race track apart and move one of the boys to the basement. Besides, it's going to get loud. The boys already seem to echo off the walls and even more so when Chris joins in. Wasn't your childhood loud?"

Alec had to think for a moment; he really couldn't argue with that. The sound of all three of them did echo off the walls with great force. Damn, Magnus was right. They would want to move but the condo was almost paid off and it was the last remaining item of his parents. It was the first house they owned, and it was the first house he owned. He held a lot of memories in that house.

"What about asking Izzy or Jace if they want to buy you out? Why don't we talk about it with them before a realtor to see if that's an option, it might change what we do. But Alec, the condo is too small for our growing family." Magnus eyed the kids; he was playing close attention to Max. Max was still favoring one arm over the other and it was a habit they were trying to break, so he worked up his strength again, "Max's arm is still giving him problems."

"Yeah, I've been noticing that. I think I'm going to take him back to the doctor to see if there's something else we can do."

"Maybe tying up his left arm to get him to use his right." Magnus was watching him intently now.

"Max!" Alec stood up and went to him. Both Max, Raphael, and another little boy from his class met him halfway. Alec knelt down to see all of them. He took Max's right arm in his hands, "Does your arm hurt?" He used his thumb and index finger to press down where it broke, he didn't feel anything wrong and Max didn't wince on him. "Why aren't you using it?"

"I don't know." He glanced back at the playground, "Can I go play?" He pulled his arm out of Alec's hold and held to his stomach, cradling in place.

"You need to start using your right arm, or it's not going to heal correctly. You have to build it back up." Alec looked at Raphael, "You two go play." Alec picked up Max and brought him over to his bench with Magnus.

"I wanna play."

"I know you do but I want to do your exercises for a minute before I let you go back and play. We need to work on this Max." Alec saw the look in his son's eyes and so did Magnus. The fight was coming.

"Max, you need to listen to your father without whining, or we're going home." Magnus and Alec had put their foot down on the whining from both of their children. It had gone on long enough and they were done with it. They were in school and needed to learn they couldn't do that anymore. For the most part, both of them were good about it; it was just situations like this that they couldn't handle themselves. Raphael was just as bad as Max, "You can play after."

Max looked at both of them and squirmed, trying to get out of Alec's hold. "Max, it takes two minutes. Sit still." Alec sat Max down in front of him, taking his right arm in his grasp. Max squirmed again, "Two minutes."

"No." Max squirmed against him again, almost breaking his hold. "I want to play."

"And I want you to listen to me. Max," Alec grabbed onto his other arm to hold him in place. "We're doing the exercises now for the next two minutes and when we get home, you are going to time out."

Max pouted but stopped moving; he lifted his right arm up for the first pose. He knew them by heart and didn't need Alec to walk him through it but he still sat there and watched every movement. They didn't hurt him, just stretched him out. Less than two minutes later he was entirely done with all the movements.

"You can play but I'm being serious, when we get home it's straight to time out. You need to start listening to us when we speak." Alec let go of both his arms and Max was off, running as his life counted on it. "I'm not such a horrible parent for making him do them here."

"No," Magnus leaned back on Alec's shoulder, "Max needs to learn to listen. Raphael has his moments as well but they need to learn."

Max made it exactly two hours from the time they got home before he landed back in time out. Alec told him to stop standing on the couch; so then he decided to jump from the couch onto the floor, hitting the coffee table and knocking a juice box over. Spilling the sticky juice all over the table and the floor. Alec was in a mood and now so was Max. Alec had pulled one of Raphael's small kid chairs from his bedroom and sat it in the middle of the kitchen; he told Max to sit and not to stand up until he was told to or had to use the bathroom in which case Alec would take him there. Magnus was upstairs laying down with a heating pad while Alec finished the meatloaf for their family dinner, everyone would be arriving shortly. Raphael went to his room to steer clear of the timeout chair. Alec was busy prepping dinner for the family while keeping a side eye on Max who was sitting on the chair with his little arms folded. If Alec hadn't been so annoyed with his son he would have found it cute but in that moment, he couldn't find it cute.

The thoughts of selling the condo were rushing about his brain. Magnus was right his childhood had been loud and his parents had complained more than once the house was to small but he loved his condo. The nagging thought that Magnus was right wouldn't leave his brain. He wanted to know what Izzy and Jace thought about selling. Today would be a good day to ask since everyone was going to be in the same room.

Izzy and Simon showed up first and when Max went to stand up, Alec told him not to move. "You are in still in timeout." He pointed to him to stay in the chair. "Stay in that chair."

"Dad!" Max shifted and moved off the chair.

"Max. What did I just say? You haven't been listening to me all day and I've had enough." Alec didn't raise his voice but he was being stern. He felt the annoyance in him rising.

Izzy went to Max to kiss the top of his head, "What happened?"

"Not listening, fighting back, standing on the couch, jumping off the couch, and knocking over a juice box when he landed too close to the coffee table. This would be his second round in timeout today." Alec went back to his work on dinner, Simon stepped up to him and began helping with the meal while Izzy frowned down at Max. "He's testing us today."

"May I release the monster?" She asked Alec with her frown.

"Fine. Raphael is in his room. Magnus hurt his back and he's upstairs resting."

Jace, Clary, and baby Christopher showed up next, only ten minutes later. Clary put Chris on the floor and his crawling and walking skills sent him off in the direction of Alec. It was a tossup of who he liked more, Magnus or Alec; usually depending on who had what food.

"Alec, you okay?" Clary asked, he picked up baby Chris and tucked him into his side. He was standing and walking along if you held him but he wasn't walking on his own for very long yet, a step or two but not much more. Clary and Jace were trying many times throughout the day to get him up and moving.

"Max has been feisty all day. He's been in timeout twice." Alec went to the fridge and picked out a container of fresh strawberries, "You want some?" His entire focus was on Chris.

Clary shook her head and went in search of Izzy and the boys. Jace picked up where Alec left off with dinner; striking up a conversation with Simon.

Chris pushed the container away, so Alec sat it down and went to go see Magnus, knowing Jace and Simon had everything under control. He ignored the noise coming from Raphael's room, Izzy and Clary had it handled, or he was going to lose his mind.

He looked into his open the door to see Magnus laying flat on his back on the floor with his phone above his head.

"Mamms." Chris twisted in Alec's arms to get down, so Alec let him down. He couldn't seem to get Mags down but it sounded close enough and everyone knew that sound meant he wanted Magnus.

"C! Baby!" Magnus twisted his head to see but kept his back straight, "How's my baby?" Magnus called him baby from day one and it stuck. Anyone else calls him baby and Chris would say no but Magnus did it and it was okay

"Mmm," Chris went to him with a hum, putting his little hands on Magnus' chest to balance himself as he sat down. He started talking, telling some sort of story with his baby babble, and Alec just left them. He was glad they had a bond. He was always afraid that Magnus and Raphael would think they aren't welcome. He didn't want him to believe that for a second and he was proud of the bonds they all made for the family. He couldn't be happier.

…

"So Magnus and I have an announcement and a question for everyone." Alec was sitting on the floor with Magnus stretched out, his feet in the kitchen and his head on Alec's leg. His heating pad back on and he laid on top of it. Alec waited for everyone to look at him, the kids were all playing in the center of the room with Kitty, and Gray was on the back of the couch, hiding himself from view. He wasn't fond of baby Christopher since he pulled his tail a few months back. "We wanted to know if either of you would like to buy the condo?" Magnus was a little more shocked then Izzy or Jace since they had not talked about it any further than they did at the park this afternoon.

Izzy frowned, "Why? Are you moving?"

"We would like to move to somewhere bigger, but I'm having problems letting go of this place." Alec looked down at his hands, one was resting on Magnus' stomach and the other was tangled in Magnus' hair. "Magnus suggested I offer it to you guys before deciding when to put it on the market."

"You know you weren't this confident when we spoke this morning," Magnus whispered to him, everyone heard but he didn't care, after all he wasn't that quiet in his whisper, if it could even be called a whisper.

"Well, I changed my mind. I was thinking about it and the reasons you listed were good ones and I agree with you. I'm ready for a larger place."

"Are you two thinking of having children?" Jace asked.

Alec nodded, "Someday. We would like to add to our family. But we want the boys to have their rooms and the more I think about the layout of the condo just isn't working for us. It's time to move."

Jace looked at Clary then to Alec, "I want it. I want the condo."

Izzy frowned at him; he didn't even give her a chance to say if she wanted it or not, "How much are you selling it for?" She asked instead.

"Well, I would like market value. I want to put the extra towards our new house but I would be willing to work around the price if either you didn't have enough for it." Alec wasn't frowning but he wasn't' smiling either, "We need to speak to realtor."

Magnus squeezed Alec's hand; he didn't say anything because technically this was Alec's house he just helped with the bills to make up his part of the mortgage.

"Unfortunately, with the wedding, I don't think I can go that much lower." Alec sighed, he didn't want to hurt his relationships with his siblings over a house, "But we haven't talked to the realtor yet, so I don't even know what the market value is. We wanted to talk to you guys first before we start the process, this is our childhood home."

"Simon and I can't afford this place right now so it would just be Jace and Clary if they wanted it," Izzy spoke up, she had to be realistic, and they honestly would not be able to afford a condo in this area for a while yet.

"I want it too but we would have to know the cost first."

Alec didn't want to tell them how much he actually paid off on the mortgage until they had a better understanding of the market. He would cut either of them a break since he had a good deal paid off but he also had to be realistic; if they were buying, then they would need the income from this sale to help make that happen. They couldn't afford a house outright, at least not with what they were spending on their wedding. He also had not told his siblings about his new job, which he would start the following day.

"There's one other thing." Alec smiled, "As for the announcement, I will be starting a new job with a new company tomorrow." The looks of shook and congratulations greeted him, "I'm sorry I didn't say anything, it kind of slipped my mind."

"What brought this about?" Clary smiled at him.

"I applied for this position last year during-" Alec cut himself off when Magnus shifted, "Uhm-" Alec had a hard time talking about Underhill to anyone but Magnus and his therapist. He even blocked Clary from the conversations and when it was brought up, he faltered, "Anyway, uhm- I didn't accept it at the time." Something shifted in him, with the mental block that always came with Underhill, "They came back with a new offer after they got short staffed and really wanted me to accept their current position."

"You forgot to tell us." Simon laughed, "Really, Alec?"

"What are you going to be doing?" Jace asked.

"The same thing, just at a Group Chief level instead of a Team Lead. I will be working downtown so the boys will have to go to latchkey after school some nights."

"I'll be working an early start so Alec will get the kids to school and I'll pick them up but if I have court or a meeting, I can't always get there on time," Magnus spoke up.

Clary waved them off, "You know I only work mornings and my last semester ended so I can pick them up if it's going to be a real late night."

"Well, their yearend is next week so we won't need help until the fall, their summer program drop off is early and the pickup can be as late as six-thirty so summer we should be set," Magnus answered. "Now, if you want to pick them up early, you are more than welcome, we put all four of you on the pickup list."

…

Alec stood outside of the realtor's office with Magnus in front of him, he was leaning against his car door and Magnus was close enough to press him into his car but he didn't, "What are you thinking?" It was a Friday evening; Jace had the boys at home while they went to settle on what they were willing to do. The realtor started putting together a viewing list and she said they would get an email in the morning. They already talked to the bank to get approved for what they needed; the bank has a reservation about Alec's age and the amount they wanted to mortgage but his clean credit and stable job worked in his favor. They both had steady careers and enough in the savings to make it affordable.

They were really buying a new house.

Magnus smiled, "I think we have a lot of changes going on right now but I also think Jace and Clary are going to have a hard time buying out the condo." He felt the small twinge in his back, he sighed against the slight pain but willed it away.

"Jace is working full time at the CPA office, Clary's part-time at the coffee shop, and she's got the nightly gig teaching art at the youth center." Alec tipped his head back to take in the sun.

"So, we tell Jace the price and see what he says." Magnus put his hands on the car door on either side of Alec's head, "I know it seems like Jace can't afford it and we might have to see it to some stranger but it will be okay."

"I know, it's just a house." Alec put his hands on Magnus' sides, gripping his shirt; they were both still in their work clothes, Magnus wearing Alec's favorite tie. Alec was wrinkling the fabric in his tight grasp. "It's just a house." Alec felt the heat coming off of Magnus and had the urge to strip him naked to feel that heat skin to skin. Alec settled for pulling up on Magnus' shirt, releasing it from his pants where it had been tucked in. He lifted the side to slid his hand along Magnus' bare skin to his lower back. He used his hand to pull Magnus closer to him, they were flattened against his car door. He kept his other hand fisted int the fabric of Magnus' work shirt.

Magnus shivered at the feeling of Alec's hands on him in the semi-public parking lot. Their car was next to another vehicle and no one would see them from the road or the realtor's office, but anyone walking by would have a good look at them. "It's not just a house. It's been your home for so long. It's the home your parents started. I know this is hard for you Alec but just think this house we are buying is going to be our home. Our first home. Our home with our children." Magnus put his head on Alec's; forehead to forehead. "I love you and I want you to be okay with this change."

Alec gripped Magnus tighter, "I love you too. I know everything you say is right."

"What do you say we go get something quick to eat? We have time before the kid's bedtime and Jace is good with them."

"I got a better idea." Alec smirked, "Get in."

Alec drove them out to the large state park near them and forced Magnus out of the car. He took Magnus's hand in his with a smile. They walked the outside trails for almost an hour before Alec got to hands-on and stole the tie from around Magnus' neck. He undid the knot and allowed it to hang around his neck so he could work on the buttons on his shirt, only release a couple to get a kiss on his lower neck. Magnus gave up then and forced them back to the car and headed home. They got home just in time to put the kids to bed and go over their options with Jace. He just nodded along and said he would talk to Clary and then the bank to see what they could make happen. He promised Alec and answer by Tuesday which Alec just nodded along with. He was a little nervous about all the changes but they were best for his family, he believed in Magnus and knew Magnus would never do anything he wasn't okay with.


	5. Date Night with a Bang

**Chapter 5 - Date Night with a Bang**

Clary smiled at the boys in her lap; Raphael still had the fantasy crush on her and Max who just wanted to be near her. Jace was at home alone with Chris while she babysat for Alec and Magnus. Magnus practically begged her to come over so he and Alec could have a date night. Their last night out was the hour they stole two weeks ago when Jace watched the boys while they were with their realtor. And before that Magnus couldn't remember their last date night. They had a few lunches but not a date night lately. He just wanted dinner and to come home with the kids already asleep. He was tempted to book a hotel for the evening. Clary didn't want to stay away all night from Chris and Jace, and Izzy couldn't do it. So, he settled for dinner and a few hours of childless peace. He didn't have any ideas past dinner, but he was perfectly okay with seeing where the evening took them.

Alec came down the stairs dressed in a dark blue pair of jeans and his light gray Queen shirt; the same shirt he wore on their first date.

"Alec, really?" Clary frowned at him.

"What? It's a classic." Alec went down to the floor to kiss the kids goodbye.

Magnus came out of the kitchen with his phone locked next to his ear. "Are you coming or not?" He looked over Alec with a grin. Magnus was wearing black jeans and a black button-down semi-see-through shirt with a red shirt under, the red shirt had a place pattern underneath with a slight glitter in the pattern, and finally making the look complete was a black suit jacket with black and silver stones set all over. "I gotta go. Alec and I have a babysitter and we are going on a date night. If you don't show up for my wedding, then I'm disowning you as a best friend." He frowned, looking at Alec then quickly away, "Shut up you." Magnus hung up the phone and leaned down to kiss the kids then stood up.

"What did he say?" Alec asked.

"Not appropriate for little ears."

"Make it appropriate," Clary shook her head with a smile, "I kind of want to know."

Magnus sighed pausing to think for a moment, "He said I should play footsie at the dinner table just not with Alec's feet." He tilted his head with a smile, glancing down at Alec sitting on the floor, more so glancing at his lap. Clary got the picture with a giggle.

"Why does he always do that?" Alec blushed ten shades deeper then Magnus' shirt. "Why does he do that to me?"

Magnus held out his hand to help Alec stand up, "Because he knows he can get you to blush even if he's not in the room or the same freakin' state." He went over to the closet pulling his black shoes and Alec's converse. "Come on, boyfriend. I'm starving." They took another five minutes saying goodbye to the kids and Clary.

Magnus grinned when they left the house; he clicked his car open. He went to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for Alec, "Boyfriend." He smirked at him. Alec just grinned and got in the car. It was as if Magnus finally noticed the shirt Alec was wearing, he gave him a once over, "Nice shirt, by the way."

Ignoring the comment, Alec asked his question, "Where are you taking me?"

They finally made it on the main road, which actually was the same rode as the restaurant Magnus had picked out for them. This date was his idea, so he was taking the lead on the entire night. "Black Rock. I've seen the ads for the lava rocks and I think it could be fun."

"I've seen those." Magnus drove and Alec put his hand on Magnus' thigh palm up. Magnus smiled and intertwined his fingers in Alec's, leaving their hands resting on his thigh. Alec smiled at him, "We still upholding the new cell phone rule for the evening?"

"I already told Clary we would only answer her phone calls, no one else. It is Friday night, and it is a date night. No work, no children, and no phones." Magnus turned towards him on the red light, bringing their joins hands up for a kiss, then twisting slightly to kiss the black ring on Alec's finger. There was something about seeing that ring on his finger. "I want nothing but a fluffy evening with you. The last year has been rough and we haven't a lot of alone time since our anniversary and that was close to a year ago." He focused on the road again on the green light. "Work, therapy, and family have taken its toll on our relationship, so tonight is about us. No one else. So no work, no children, and no phones."

Alec nodded, leaning his head back on the seat. "I have to agree with you, but I'm not sure what fluffy evening means and I'm a little scared to ask." He smirked with a light in his eyes.

Magnus smirked right back at him, "I'm not sure but it sounded good. I guess I could make it dirty but right now its dinner time. The dirty jokes can continue after we eat."

Alec laughed out loud, "I don't know that sounded kind of dirty to me. Fluffy." He wiggled his eyebrows at him showcasing the crease lines around his mouth. Alec licked his lips and just stared at the side of Magnus' face.

"Oh shut up," Magnus let go to Alec to pull into the parking lot. "Let's go eat, stud muffin."

"Nope, can't use that one either."

Magnus grinned. For weeks he had been trying different pet names of the most ridiculous nature he could find; he made sure to keep the pet names for when they were in private but he was going to find one that stuck. They usually got vetoed by a red-faced Alec, but he kept trying. He was going to get 'daddy' out of him at some point. He didn't know how but it was going to happen.

Alec held the door open for Magnus who picked up his hand along the way inside; he could barely contain himself. They so rarely went out together to a nice restaurant and could hold an adult conversation without speaking in code. The lobby area of the restaurant was packed but Magnus made his way to the front, "Hello, I have a reservation for two under Magnus Bane." He smiled at the young girl manning the booth.

She smiled at him, "Yes, I remember. I took your call earlier."

"Oh, how wonderful. You were very nice."

The girl got the two menus together, "Just one second for the server." She smiled a flirtatious smile. "Having a good evening, so far?" She added with a hint of something new more, her eyes solely on Magnus.

Alec cocked his head to the side with a raised eyebrow, looking between Magnus and the hostess. This was not the first time someone, male or female, flirted with Magnus right in front of his eyes but it still took him by surprise when the other party was so blatant about it. Alec squeezed Magnus' hand hard to get his attention.

Magnus looked at him with a frown, "What?" he mouthed so the hostess couldn't hear.

Alec rolled his eyes, "Oh sweet pea, this is such a nice place." He stepped up closer to Magnus.

Magnus grinned and bit his lip to hold in his laughter; at the name and at the hostess' face with her completely shocked, round eyes. Some times Alec could be so surprising.

"What? Try again?" Alec tilted his head in a questioning way, waiting for a response to their inside joke.

"Try again." Magnus leaned into him, bringing his lips to land on his ear, "Unless you call me 'daddy'."

Alec pushed on his chest when their server came up and asked them to follow her. "What is up with you and that word?"

"It's almost a dare at this point. The first time was to get a rise out of you and I did so now I just want to hear it." Magnus leaned in close to whisper to Alec while they made their way towards the back of the restaurant where a booth was waiting for them. "Once. Just once I'm going to hear it."

The server announced herself and their specials, asking what they wanted to drink.

"What do you have on tap?" Alec asked she went through their beer list. He smiled at her and nodded along, he finally made a choice and looked at Magnus, "You want your own or mine?"

Magnus looked at the waitress, "Boyfriends." He said shaking his head, earning a smile and a small laugh from the server. "I'll have my own. Thank you." He watched her leave but went straight back to teasing Alec, "You are still going to drink from it first."

"Of course I am!" He sighed with a slight laugh, "I wouldn't want to deprive you of my lips on your beer."

They went on like that for the next hour, during their first and second round of beers; then their food. They both got steaks. They talked and whispered during that hour. The table had been cleared from everything and soon the bill came but Magnus wasn't eager to pay it, that meant they had to leave and he wasn't sure he was ready for them to move. He didn't have any ideas except for dinner. He just wanted to sit here all night and talk to Alec. He did know of a bar they could try but he really didn't want to leave now that they were here.

Alec reached across the booth, laying his hands on the table palms up, "Magnus," He whispered with a slight smile, biting his bottom lip. "I can see your mind working. What are you thinking about?"

"You."

"Me?"

Magnus shifted and put his hands on Alec's palm down; he rested his elbows flat on the table, so he leaned his head forward on the back of his hands. Alec twisted one hand out and put it on top of Magnus' head, running his finger through some of his black spikes. "Baby, you okay?"

"Tired." Magnus moved, so his chin was resting on the back of his hands. He was looking at Alec with Alec's hands on him. "But not really. I just don't want to go home." He frowned, "That sounds a lot worse out loud."

"You think I do?" Alec ignored his other comment. "I think our love for our family goes without saying but we need adult time. Something we haven't made time for lately." Magnus nodded against his words, putting his head back down, this time resting his cheek on the back of his hands. Alec still played with his hair. "We've been dating for two years and I feel like our date count can fit in one hand."

Magnus sat up then, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Alec nodded and followed Magnus as he led the way out of the restaurant, hand in hand. Alec trailing behind Magnus with their fingers linked. Alec did note a stare or two even in today's day and age; there were people out there that still had to stare. He wanted to ignore them but instead, he gave them all curious looks which usually made them turn their heads. The whole deal always made for a good laugh later.

Once again Magnus got his door for him which Alec just laughed, they had never gotten the door for each other ever before. Magnus seemed to drive with a purpose but Alec had no clue where they were going. When he pulled up to the creek, Alec just shook his head. Magnus told him to get out and met him in front of the car.

"Let's walk."

"This was your big date plan?" Alec took his hand and began up the trail with Magnus right in step with him. It was still light enough that there was no problem seeing any of the steps.

Magnus shook his head, he swung their hands out in front of him and then up so he could kiss the back of Alec's hand again. "I actually had nothing planned past dinner. I just knew I wanted to be alone with you." He kept their intertwined hands up against his chest, "I tried to get Izzy or Clary to stay the night so I could get us a fancy hotel room but neither could."

Alec stopped walking and pulled on his arm to get Magnus to face him; they stood their face to face. Alec pulled his hand out of Magnus' tight grasp and moved them up his arms to hold onto the sides of Magnus' face, "What would I do without you?"

"Have far less sex." Magnus retorted.

Alec laughed, "I had no sex before you. At least not for a very long time."

"My twenty-four-year-old sexless boyfriend. We should do something about that."

Alec licked his lips, "We should." He pulled Magnus into a deep kiss them, pulling so hard Magnus had to step forward to relieve some of the pressure of Alec's hold. Alec bent backward as Magnus' hands came up to the small of his back, holding each other in place. Finally, Alec moved an arm around Magnus' neck. The other slipping under Magnus' arm to hold across his back. Magnus took a step back, pulling Alec upright and flush against him.

Alec pulled back, stepping out of Magnus' grasp, "We can't do this here."

"I know." But Magnus pulled Alec back into a kiss. This one held far less heat than their previous one. Alec slipped his hands inside Magnus' jacket to rest on his hips, pulling him further into him. A woman's voice pulled him back to reality.

"That's hot."

Alec stepped back at the voice of a pair of girls walking by them. Magnus grinned and licked his lips, "Thanks." He yelled over his shoulder at them. The girls giggled louder at his response.

Alec smirked, pulling on Magnus' hand. "I don't care if we don't stay the night. Let's get a room somewhere. I don't want to wait."

"Oh, it's like a secret. Our little secret." They made it back to the car, to their surprise the girls were parked a few spaces away and waved when they made it back to their car. Magnus nodded with a wave, "Yeah, my boyfriend's hot." He ignored Alec's outcry at him and just got in the car.

…

They were only two steps inside the door before Magnus' jacket ended up on the floor. Alec started sucking on the side of Magnus' neck before he had the door open, he was already losing his breath and he had no idea what their room even looked like. At this rate, they wouldn't even make it past the entryway and they would never learn what their room looked like. He caught the knowing look of the women checking them in, she didn't say a word out of place but Magnus knew. She had that curious look in her eyes; she knew they were only here long enough to have sex. Somehow that fact turned him on, making him rock hard before they even make it to the room.

Magnus pulled back and pushed Alec farther into the room, stripping his black button down off as he went, Alec helped himself to undo the buttons while they were in the elevator. He also helped himself to untucking Magnus' clothes from his pants and his pants button without taking off his belt. Magnus had to admit Alec had some pretty impressive moves from time to time. His redshirt joined in the trail of clothes to the bed. Alec's shirt came next.

"I finally managed to get you out of that damn shirt while on a date." Magnus licked his lips; this was their foreplay, this was their hype up before the dirty deed in a not so seedy hotel. The thought made Magnus giggle.

"It only took you two years."

"In my defense, we don't actually date much." Magnus took his belt off and sure enough his button was undone, he looked down then gave Alec a pointed look.

Alec's belt joined the pile. Slowly one article at a time, coming off and joining their growing collection of clothes.

"Also, it almost came off on the first date." Magnus removed one shoe then the other, never breaking eye contact with Alec, which Alec mimicked; his shoes ending up in their pile. "That has to count for something. Although-"

"Please, I got more of your skin then you did of mine." Alec put his hands on Magnus' hips and pulled him forward as he sat on the edge of the bed, bringing Magnus' stomach to the perfect level. "Kind of like this." Alec pulled hard to get Magnus in between his legs; he came forward to lick his favorite part of Magnus' stomach. His spot.

Magnus tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling, his hand going into Alec's hair, effectively holding him in place while Alec began to suck on his stomach. He would have a new mark before the night was over. Magnus was going to have his way and Alec would have a mark of his own. He pulled on Alec's hair; he had enough of that. Alec bit into his skin, enough to draw a hiss out of Magnus then went back to sucking, pulling a bruise to the surface and leaving his mark.

Alec looked at him but Magnus looked down, using his other hand to unzip his pants. He took the hint and helped Magnus remove his pants and boxers at the same time. He leaned in to kiss Magnus' stomach again, but Magnus stopped him, "Where's my jacket?"

"What?" The question was still shaking around Alec's head when Magnus stepped back from him. "Jacket?"

He went to the door picked up his jacket from the floor and brought it over to the bed with him. "Watch this?" Magnus leaned in to kiss Alec's open lips, "I have a magic trick for you."

"Now?" Alec looked around with a smile, "Right now?"

"Ta-da." Magnus brought his hand out of his inner suit jacket and produced two condoms and a small pack of lube. He smirked wide and winked at him.

Alec stood up to take the jacket out of Magnus' hands and throw it somewhere behind him. "You thought I was putting out tonight?"

"Oh babe, I knew we both were at some point. That's why there are two condoms. I was kind of hoping for car sex but we'll get there." He pushed the condoms and the lube to Alec's chest. "Fuck me."

Alec brought his hand up to catch the items at the same time pushing Magnus towards the bed, he twisted to face the bed and bent over. They only flipped from time to time, Magnus was almost always the top and Alec the bottom. It wasn't something they ever talked about in depth, but they just knew and learned over time. Practically pure instinct with every touch. They knew each other that well without even speaking. Then there were the random times when either of them asked for it straight out in the open and the other just complied. They never fought or had to do much convincing. They seemed to know their comfort zones without a second guess.

Alec popped open his button and undone his jeans just enough to pull himself out of his pants. He jerked himself while stepping up to Magnus. He froze for a moment, watching Magnus as he shifted to look at him.

"I don't want to use this." He held up the condoms; he had never gone bare before. Magnus had, and the feeling was completely different on the receiving side; he suddenly wanted to know what it felt like giving.

Magnus grinned at him, "Then don't. I trust you."

Alec threw the condoms to the ground with their clothes. He pulled on Magnus' arm to get him standing again; he couldn't breathe and needed a moment. In and out. He calmed his breathing down enough to speak, "I love you."

Magnus smiled, "I love you too babe."

"Now that one I approve of."

"Babe, huh?" Magnus reached forward and removed Alec's hand on his cock and moved his hands down to the base then back up to the head, just a single stroke. "Babe, you still have your pants on." Another stroke, down to the base then back up to the head, never touching the very tip. "Let me help you with that." Alec rolled his eyes and closed his lids, Magnus was messing with him.

Magnus went to his knees taking Alec's pants and boxers the rest of the way down. He took them off one leg a time, pausing between legs to stroke Alec a few times then moving onto the next leg. He stood up after spending another minute stroking Alec, getting him harder and harder with each pass.

Alec ran his hands from Magnus' cheeks to his ears, to tug on them while he stood up, he knew better than to try and run his hands in Magnus' hair after watching him spend twenty minutes on his hair before they left. There was no way he was getting his hands in those spikes without Magnus saying something to him about it, so, he knew to leave well enough alone. He had tempted fate enough with his hands in Magnus' hair at the restaurant. He ran a finger along the earring cuff that Magnus worn on the weekends, he took it out for work but the evenings and weekends were fair game and tonight was no different.

Magnus stepped back out of an attempt by Alec to kiss him, "You want me," He went to the bed and moved backward on his ass to the head of the bed. He stopped when his back hit the headboard, "Come get me." He had his feet planted on the bed with his knees in the air.

Alec climbed to the head of the bed on his knees, putting his hands on Magnus' knees to keep himself steady. "I want you."

"And I want you."

Alec stayed there on his knees, ripping the lube packet open he applied the amount he needed, stroking himself to get a good coating then used the extra to slip his middle finger home in Magnus. He locked eyes with Magnus, whose hands were resting on the wall behind his head on the wooden ledge of the bolted on the wall headboard, and smiled. Alec licked his lips and inserted a second finger. Then a third. Magnus rolled his head from side to side; he was ready.

"Lay down," Alec slipped back a half pace and pulled on Magnus' thighs, he went with ease onto his back. Alec reached over for a pillow and slipped it under his lower back. He bent forward for a kiss, thrust his cock against Magnus'. He kept kissing him for seconds but it seemed like minutes, Magnus moaned into the kiss which drew Alec back, "What?" He thrust, "Waiting for something."

"Alexander Lightwood. Fuck. Me." Magnus ground out each word with a moan, he couldn't stop himself. He wanted him but he couldn't keep his voice to an inside voice. He was getting hot and his heart rate was speeding. He needed to feel something. "Now."

Alec brought himself back up to his knees, using a hand to push on Magnus' leg and the other to guide himself in. He went slowly at first, the feeling was vastly different and one he's never had before. He also didn't want to hurt Magnus. When he got close to being all the way in Magnus pushed against him, flushing them against each other, Alec into the hilt. Magnus hissed and Alec ducked his head in for another kiss, leaving himself seating to the hilt.

Magnus tried to shift his hips but Alec had all of his weight on him, It wasn't uncomfortable but he wanted him to move, he needed him to move.

He moved then, Alec pulled back from the kiss to being back on his knees and started moving, thrusting slow. All the way out, then all the way in, his hand at the base of his cock to help guide himself. The pressure was building and so was Alec's speeding.

Magnus head a hand over his head against the headboard and the other on himself, smoothing down his chest, stopping at a nipple then down further. Finally, making it down to his shaft. He picked himself up and started jerking in rhythm with Alec's thrust. Slow. Then building with the pressure. Taking the same slow build, Alec was using to make it to the end. That slow burn that would ride them out.

Alec pulled all the way out and tapped his hip, "Turn around, on your knees." His voice was chipped and edgy, he was close to the edge but trying to draw it out as long as he could. Magnus moved as Alec guided him into the position he wanted him. Alec pushed himself back inside before Magnus could think and groaned with the force of the push, that almost sent him straight over the edge. He stayed on his knees with one hand while his other hand jerked himself harder, Alec was close and he knew it.

Alec ground his teeth together, "Fuck. Fuck. Fu-" the feeling was so much different to him, part of it physical but mostly emotional to him and the trust they had in one other. He wanted to warn him but he couldn't. He couldn't breathe and speak at the same time.

Magnus groaned, he felt Alec tense up and tighten. The grip on his hips became like vices and Magnus knew he was close. He gained speed on himself and couldn't hold back anymore. He spoke his name on a whispered, coming onto the top blanket of the bed.

He couldn't hold back, Magnus tighten up below him was the feeling he needed to send himself over the edge. He pulled himself out and finished himself with a few more strokes, coming on to the blanket between their spread knees. Alec bent forward, resting himself along Magnus's back until Magnus rolled over, making sure not to roll into their semen. Alec stood up and pulled on the blanket, making Magnus move again. He threw it to the ground away from their close and joined Magnus on the bed who was going under the top sheet and holding it up for Alec to join him.

Alec went into the center of the bed, resting his head on a pillow while pushing himself up close to Magnus. He didn't care about cleaning up, they were going to be here much longer and they didn't have unlimited time tonight. They still have to make it home within a reasonable amount of time. They never said when they would be home but Alec knew Clary would want to get home before midnight.

"Can we do this more often?" Magnus asked, pulling Alec onto his chest. He didn't want him to use a pillow; he wanted Alec's head on his chest. He wanted the weight of his lover on him.

"I don't know?" Alec went with Magnus as his guide on where he wanted him, "I thought our sex life was pretty active."

"Not that, you weirdo." Magnus kissed the top of his head, "I mean date night."

Alec laughed, "We neglect ourselves too much for the kids."

"Yes, we need to take care of ourselves as much as them." Magnus twisted to his side so he could look at Alec, "Did we really just book a fancy hotel for a few hours of post-dinner sex?"

He smirked, twisting with Magnus, "Yes, I believe we did."

"That's hot." Magnus didn't give Alec a chance to respond by going in for a kiss and stirring up round two.

…

They were ten minutes from home when Alec decided he hadn't had enough of Magnus and put his hand on his upper thigh, Magnus was driving but Alec didn't care. He squeezed his thigh then moved it closer and closer to his goal. Magnus' hand came down to stop him. "Alec." The warning in his voice should have been enough to stop him, but that wasn't the case.

"What?" He tried for an innocent smile but he was fooling no one.

"We are on a very busy street." He groaned when Alec squeezed where he really wanted. "Oh fuck." He let go of Alec's hands and put both hands on the wheel. "If we crash it's your fault."

"Then I guess, you better pay attention to the road." Alec ran his hand up and down on Magnus, going from his belt down to feeling the leather of Magnus' seats.

Magnus stared wide-eyed at the road, he didn't know how he had any more to give but Magnus had turned instantly hard again. They just spent three hours having sex but that didn't matter, he was hard as a rock and needed to come. His pants were beginning to become painful from their tightness. They finally made it to their street but Magnus pulled the car over in front of a strip of new condos they were building. He put the car in park but didn't shut it off. He pushed his hips up to make contact with Alec's hand. Alec smirked at the moaning coming from Magnus' lips as he jerked him off through his pants. Magnus reached over, putting a hand in Alec's hair, pulling Alec to him into a searing kiss.

Alec applied more pressure, pushing his hand harder against Magnus.

Magnus pulled back from the kiss, his head meeting his headrest, hissing in pleasurable pain. Alec went for his chest, pulling on his redshirt aside so his lips could meet skin. He was going to leave him a new mark to match the other he gave him tonight. He rubbed his hand on his crotch faster and faster, pulling him to the brink of hell then pushing him over the edge as soon as he could.

Magnus hissed again, moaning deep in the back of his throat, his hand trending thought Alec's hair, he pulled hard and bringing him up into a new kiss.

"I hate you," Magnus whispered trying to catch his breath.

Alec pulled back, licking his lips as we went. "What?" He laughed with a sigh of innocents.

"How am I going to make in that house and past Clary when I just came in my pants?" Magnus finally had enough strength to look at him, "Honestly?" He felt the stickiness against himself. His pants should be dark enough to hide anything but it was going to be wet for sure.

Alec smirked, "Take your jacket off and hold it in front of you. Say you have to use the bathroom and go upstairs." He didn't really think about that much. He just thought he had to touch him.

"Fuck." Magnus pulled Alec into another kiss, "I should return the favor, but one walk of shame in front of Clary is enough."

"You don't think she won't be able to tell what we've been up to base on the state of my hair." Alec didn't need to look at it to know Magnus' hands had played their part and messed it up beyond repair. That got the laugh he wanted from Magnus.

"Let's go, bed head."

Alec smirked, "Nope. Try again."

Magnus put the car in drive and laughed again at him; he was not excepting that. "You always surprise me, Alexander."


	6. Career Changes Pt II

**Chapter 6 – Career Changes Pt. II**

Alec groaned while taking a seat behind his desk, Michael Kane had followed him to his office. His first week had been good and strong, but there was one Team Lead who did not like the fact that she did not get the job or so he thought. She had filed a complaint that Alec wasn't 'smart enough' to handle the role and those were her exact words. She had been laughed at and sent out of the HR office but that did not stop Alec from wanting to make it right. Today, Mr. Kane was here to see how his new hire was going.

"I heard about the complaint. If it makes you feel any better, she filed almost the same complaint against the last Group Chief." Kane sat down on the chair in front of Alec's desk.

Alec's office had been slightly bigger than his last one with two windows that allowed actually light in. He was on the twenty floor of the giant downtown high rise. Detroit did not have many of them but just enough to make it feel like a big city. The city was rather large in space but not in the actual downtown business district. The people loved their sports and the sports area was up and coming with another new stadium that joined the two other stadiums that weren't that old all within in the same city block. It was nice unless there were more than one team playing at a time, then it was a traffic and parking nightmare.

Alec's commute wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, he started early and got out at a decent time to be able to pick the boys up from their summer daycare program. It was different then the schedule him and Magnus had originally worked out but it was ever changing. The boys had started this week and were loving it so far. Raphael got to play a lot of his favorite sport: soccer. And Max had discovered that he liked to draw. He wasn't bad and went straight to Clary for help with anything. She bought him a new artist pad and some real artist pencils. She didn't want to leave Raphael out, so she got him a new soccer ball. The boys were in heaven and both had seemed to settle down enough that neither had needed a timeout in the last week and a half. Alec was calling it a win and just went with the flow.

"I am going to try and work it out with her but Carol seems to not care. I will make this work."

Kane smiled, "I've heard you're too nice for your own good. But I applaud your efforts. To be honest, she is working her way out the door. I have a hard time handling employees who would rather complain then do their jobs."

He thought about it for a minute; he wasn't ready to give up on her just yet. Alec felt like there was something he could do to help the situation. "Give me at least a month and after that, if she still refuses to work with me, then I say HR can do whatever they want with her."

"I'll give two weeks unless she makes another baseless complaint; then she's gone." Kane stood up; Alec stood up with him. "Do what you think you need to but two weeks." And he was gone.

Alec followed him to the door and glanced at the Division admin. Both Group Chiefs and the Division Chief all used the same Admin. While the team leads and the rest of the Division had their own. "Can you call Carol into my office? When she gets here will you join us? I would like a witness since she already has a complaint against me."

Miss. Green nodded, "Yes, sir."

He only had to wait for a few minutes until they both entered his office, Miss. Green held a pen and spiral notebook to take notes.

"Morning, Carol. I wanted to talk to you for a moment." No sooner had sat down his desk phone when off. "Just a moment. Hello, Alec Lightwood speaking." He frowned into the phone, "Magnus, I have people in my office."

" _I was just having a bad day and needed to hear your voice."_

"Everything okay?" He glanced up for a moment.

" _Valentine's back."_

Alec sighed, this was not going to be good, "Call Clary and see if she'll pick up the boys from daycare. We can do a quick date night. But I have to go."

" _Tell me you love me." He spoke with a hidden laugh to his voice. "Oh, and tell me I'm pretty."_

Alec smiled, "I love you, Magnus. Goodbye." He hung up his phone with Magnus complaining in the background that he would tell Alec he was pretty if he asked. He glanced back up at Carol. He noticed Miss. Green had a smile on her face. "Sorry about that, my fiancée usually calls my cell not my desk phone."

"Magnus? That seems like a strange name?"

"His mother's parents are from Indonesia originally. He moved here from New York City a few years back." Alec smiled, he was less hesitant to be closeted at his new position. The company culture seemed a lot more inviting. He felt safe.

Carol frowned then got wide-eyed, "You're gay?"

Alec laughed for a short second with his smile, the look on her face and the sound of her voice seemed funny to him, "I am." He flipped a photo frame around on his desk; it was a picture of him, Magnus, and the boys. Another one of Clary's surprise photos. "This is him and our two boys, Max and Raphael."

Carol picked up the photo while Miss. Green sat in the back with a knowing smile. She had seen the picture and already asked him questions about his family. Miss. Green was only twenty-two years old and loved that Alec was so open about who he was. She loved the stories of the boys and their childhood antics.

"We are a blended family. Max is my biological child; he's five and the one sitting on my lap. Raphael is Magnus', he's six, and he's the one with his arms around my neck." He loved talking about his children, they were his life and nothing was better for conversation than they were.

Carol nodded, "My husband and I have a blended family as well." She handed the photo back to him, which Alec put it back on his desk, turning it so he could look at it any time he wanted. "We each have one of our own and one daughter together."

"That's what we are trying for. After the wedding, we are going to try by adoption or surrogate. The verdict is still out on which route we are going with." Alec smiled, the thoughts of another baby in the house was the driving factor behind giving Magnus whatever he wanted with this wedding. They wanted a baby but Magnus wanted to get married first, he would not say no to Magnus since it was the same thing he wanted.

"I'm not mad that I got passed over for your position if that's what you think." She crossed her arms to stare at him.

Alec sat back in his chair; the small talk was officially over. "That's not what I want to talk about. I just want to say if you have an issue with me I wish you would come to me first so we can work it out before you file a complaint. I think I am smart enough to handle the job if you would just give me a chance." He knew it was petty to throw her words around but he knew it would get the add effect, there was no mistaking the reason behind this chat.

Miss. Green continued to write on her pad, the scratching sound the only noise in the office for a long minute. Carol was thinking. Alec was waiting.

"I have been in this field a long time, Mr. Lightwood." Carol finally spoke. She had been, she worked for Kane Services for almost twenty years. She started on the ground floor running mail and answering phones. She was in her fifties and still had a lot of life in her for work.

"I know. I checked your visible file." Most HR records were sealed to HR only but supervisors had access to their own employee records on what they called visible files, there were also the nonvisible ones which only HR had access to. "You know Kane Services inside and out. You know the Training and Development area inside and out. I think you could be a valuable member of my staff sharing your knowledge with the group. But at the same time, I can't have someone on my staff who isn't willing to be a team player and would rather file complaints then share their knowledge. I've set up weekly 30-minute knowledge management meetings and you haven't shown up to either that I've hosted so far."

"I had a client meeting for the first one." She spoke up, leaving off an excuse for the second missed meeting.

"Listen, Carol; I don't want to talk to HR to have you moved anymore then I think, you want to be moved. So there has to be a way to fix this working relationship to be a benefit to everyone. I'm open to any suggestions you have." Alec stayed hunched over his desk; he wanted to let her know with his body language that he really was open to her ideas. During his time at school they had an entire 16-week course on body language and the effects it has in HR.

When she didn't respond, he sighed, "What if you ran the meetings? That would give you additional duties but I think your knowledge could be beneficial." When she didn't answer again, just looking down at the back of his picture frame. "Alright, we're done here. You can leave."

"Did your parents know you're gay?"

Miss. Green stood up then, "I'm just going to step out." She knew a sad voice when she heard one; she edged the door closed when she left.

Alec watched her go then looked away; he didn't know if he should answer that. He thought about being brave, everything he wasn't at his last company. "They did. I came out to them almost a year before they died." He sighed, "They never met my children or my fiancée. That is a sad point for me. They will never get to meet the people who bring me the most happiness."

Carol looked at him.

He sensed she wasn't done but wasn't ready to talk. "My parents died when I was eighteen in a car accident. I became a father just a year later. Magnus and Raphael came into my life two years ago. My siblings love them but it always saddens me to know my parents never got to see any of that. They got to meet my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law before they were all married, but they will never meet my husband or children. Or even my nephew."

"My son died." Carol finally spoke up, "Him and his partner died while on vacation a few years ago."

Alec lost his smile and just stared at her. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"They were on a cruise and the van they were in for some swimming with the dolphins thing crashed and they both died. They're the only ones who died. In a van of twenty people, my boys were the only ones who died." Carol kept her eyes on the back of the picture. She picked it up again, looking it over. "My boys used to do nothing but smile, even on the worse of days, Jeffery and Eric, they always smiled. Your partner, Magnus, looks happy."

"It's tough for Magnus to have a day where he's not wearing a smile. He is literally the best thing that's ever happened to me, other than our children."

"You're not married yet but his child is your child. That's a good parent."

"Max and Raphael have been best friends since the day they met; they don't argue or fight. It's funny when they try to fight they just start giggling and it passes in minutes. We all have our moments, no relationship is perfect but we work at, every day." Alec sat back in his chair with a smile on his face. "I'm really sorry about your son. I don't know what I would do without Max. He broke his arm a few months back and I was a wreck just taking care of him then. I wanted to pass out just waiting in the ER with him."

"I have my daughters, that helped but the pain never goes away. I always feel better meeting a gay couple, to see how brave they are to just be themselves. Our Jeffrey has been out since he was 13 years old. He knew what he wanted from the beginning of life, he took hold of that, and he would never hide."

"My mom was happy since the moment I told her; there was nothing stopping her from loving me completely. My dad took a day but he came around. My parents were always very supportive of me and my siblings."

"I'll do it. I'll run those meetings and I'll come to you with issues in the future." Carol stood up but didn't move, "Can I meet them? Your family?"

Alec looked around before meeting her eye; he had never been asked that before; it seemed like such a strange request. "Yeah, you can." He smirked, "Actually, it's funny you should ask that before I was talking with Miss. Green about hosting a BBQ for my Team Leads and their families. Magnus and I just haven't picked a date yet, we are sort of in the market for a new house so the debate is having it now or wait until we get the new house."

She nodded, "I'll be there." And she left.

Alec frowned but followed her to his door, closing it behind her. He honestly had no idea what just happened, but he knew it was good. He picked up his phone for a quick text asking if Magnus had called Clary. His response was fast.

 _Yep. Jace is doing it. We have until 7._

…

Alec dropped his car off but waited outside against the driver's door; they agreed that they didn't want to see the kids because it would be hard to get away and they only had two hours for dinner. Jace had picked up the boys around 4 and he made sure they were upstairs so they wouldn't see the cars. Magnus pulled up to the curb of the driveway and rolled his window down, "Hey, sexy."

Alec got in the car with a smirk, "Hey, babe." He leaned over for a quick kiss, "Drive before they see us."

Magnus laughed and did as he was told. "You sound happy."

"I am. I finally made headway with Carol. It was an odd experience. She was the one in my office when you called and she questioned me about your name." Alec put his hand on Magnus' headrest, running his hands on the back of his head; the short hairs feeling good in his hands. "I decided that at this company I was going to be honest with my staff about my family and not hide. So I told her the truth and showed off this picture I have on my desk of the four of us."

Magnus brought his hand up to take Alec's off the headrest to rest their hands on his thigh, "And that helped?"

"It did. Turns out she had a son who was gay. Unfortunately, he and his partner died in a car accident while they were on vacation a few years back. But she instantly opened up to me and we had a good conversation."

"Oh good." Magnus brought their hands up to kiss his black engagement band.

"Valentine's back?" Alec turned to see him more head-on. "Where are you taking us?" Magnus smiled, releasing his hand to pull into his dinner place of choice. Alec shot up an eyebrow at him, "Really?"

"What can I say? I like the name."

"And the dirty jokes." Alec climbed out of the car to head into Five Guys Burgers. "I still feel like that would be so much work."

Magnus ignored the last half of Alec's continued statement, "Well yeah." Magnus grinned, "I need to have something to do in between telling you my good news and bad news."

"Funny, I thought it would be eating." Alec held open the door with a grand gesture.

"Ah, honey, you're not on the menu." On cue, Alec turned ten shades of red in response. Magnus found this to be his new job, see how many shades he could turn Alec with perfectly innocent statements.

Alec ignored Magnus and his latest attack on his blushing and went to the front counter to order, Magnus came up close behind him to whisper in his ear before stepping back, another successful attack on him. They ordered and waited for their food. "Outside?"

Magnus nodded, handing Alec his empty cup, "You get drinks and I'll wait for food."

Alec took the cup and went about their drinks, napkins, and lots of ketchup. It wasn't by Alec's choice but Magnus loved it and Alec put up with it enough for him. He noticed an old couple off to his side, they were in line right before him and Magnus, and they never spoke just knew exactly what they needed. They moved around Alec and got their drinks and napkins without a word. He focused on them for a moment; they were so perfectly in tune with one another. He snapped out of his haze when their number was called and he still hadn't gotten them a table yet.

Alec waited just as long as his brain would let him, precisely three bites, before jumping in on Magnus. "Good news or bad news?" he prompted.

"Which would you like to hear?"

"Bad news." Alec put his burger down to munch on his Cajun fries and listen.

Magnus mimicked his movements, setting his burger aside, "Valentine is back. He's not on my team per say but he's back and he's already started taking clients from other lawyers. I can't understand why they would let him come back to our office with him being this type of lawyer. None of my clients, but he just pisses me off. I think he knows to steer clear of me."

Alec leaned over to stare at Magnus, he put his hand over his, "That's good right, that he's staying away."

"Very good. Just bad that he's back. I thought my firm would have been smarter than that. But he's back for now. Thankfully not in my area." Magnus went back to his burger for a bite, "I'm sure he'll do something else and piss off the firm again."

"If that's not the good news then what is?"

"There have been three retirements in my firm over the last six months. One partner and two junior partners."

"Junior partners makes me think young?" Alec frowned, "Juniors could retire?"

"Not everyone makes partner in their career. Some juniors want to be partners but don't want the full caseload, so they stay at that level. Age doesn't really matter unless you are a partner, they don't give you parts of the law firm if you don't have the experience."

Alec nodded, finished with his burger at this point. He moved onto his fries and listening again, "Okay."

"They offered me a Junior Partner position today."

Alec dropped his fry, "Really?"

Magnus nodded, with a huge smile, "It's the first step on being a full partner and that is my end goal but this is great for my career. I would be slightly changing my area of law but nothing I haven't practiced before."

"Oh my god," Alec sat up to lean across the table and kissed him, "Congratulations, babe. That is amazing."

"It isn't official for another two weeks but my new pay raise starts on Monday."

Alec eyed him for a moment, "You called me all sad, I thought something terrible happened."

Magnus smirked, leaning over for another kiss, "That was after Valentine and before I knew the whole junior partner thing. Besides, I love hearing your voice." He threw his last fry into their bag for trash, "Are you done?"

Alec nodded, "Does this mean I can quit work and be a stay at home dad?"

"Sure, if you call me 'daddy'." Magnus laughed louder then he thought possible with the look of shock and horror on Alec's face. This game was getting good and one of these days he was going to get Alec to slip and call him that just so he could rub it in Alec's face.

"That will never happen!" Alec stood up and threw their bag and his cup away.

Magnus held out his cup and without a word walked back inside the restaurant. Alec threw the cup away and waited by the car, Magnus was washing his hand again, he had no problems eating the food but the grease on his hands was a big deal. He had a moment to think while Magnus came out to him. He had his regular black pants on but he was wearing a light blue dress with a navy tie while his suit jacket already lay forgotten across the backseat. He just watched Magnus come up to him, "Hey, do you ever think we are too domesticated?"

"What the hell does that even mean?" Magnus frowned, "Too domesticated?"

"You know," Alec frowned, "We aren't even married and we do everything in such a routine. Do you think we need to change something?"

"What? No," Magnus went to stand by Alec, "What's going on?"

"That old couple that was in there." He nodded his head to the burger place they just left. "They were in perfect sync. I kept watching them and we act in much of the same way. Do we think it's going to get old after a while?"

Magnus nodded in what he hoped was understanding when he was still unclear on where Alec was going with this. "No, I don't. Besides, we keep it interesting." Alec gave him a look, which caused Magnus to grin, "Alexander Lightwood, you listen to me right now." He put his hands on Alec's shoulders pulling him close so he could whisper. "I literally just told you, I want to fuck you in a restaurant with a little old couple standing in front of us. If that isn't interesting, I don't what is."

Alec looked around them as much as he could to make sure no one was near them, "Magnus-"

"Let's not forget date night last week." Magnus silenced his look of protest with a kiss, "Alec, we made out on a public trail before getting a hotel room just to have sex for hours. Then you felt me up the entire way home and I had to pull off the road just so I could come in my pants and perform a very squishy and a very sticky walk of shame into my own home. I don't think we will grow tired of one another."

"Do you have to talk that way?" Alec groaned, but smiled, "That was a good date."

"You were very handsy." Magnus let go of him to walk around the car to get in.

They had a half hour until they needed to be home and Magnus wanted to get home, he wanted to make out in the driveway until they had to go inside. He was going to keep it very interesting.

"You looked good. Those were some tight pants." Alec tossed back, getting into his car.

Alec waited a moment before he couldn't wait any longer, "I love you and I love our life together, I just don't know. I have this feeling like it's going too well, like it's going to crash around me. Like Underhill is going to pop around the corner." Alec held up his hand to stop Magnus from speaking, "I know it's my irrational feelings and I'm working on them with my therapist but I don't really know how to explain it. I wish I could figure out how to get my feelings out but I get all tongue tied then I trip up, and I feel like I sound stupid."

"You do not sound stupid. It's okay to have fears." Magnus turned to Alec, twisting into the steering wheel, "I am so proud of you and how far you have come. I know you love me. And I know you love the kids, our life together. You have feelings you need to work on, there is nothing wrong with that. You will get there, just know that I am always here for you. None of your feelings are stupid and you don't sound stupid for voicing them."

Alec almost felt like crying, they were having such a good moment then he had to go and mess it up, "I just feel like I should be over this by now, it's been a year and half and I still feel so far behind."

"Hey, remember what your therapist told you. Every goes through grief and trauma at their own pace. It's okay to still be working through things. I know this wedding is cause you some stress and now the move, but it will be okay Alec." Magnus waited a half a beat, "You are okay with moving, right? If not, we can wait."

"NO." Alec leaned forward then back again, "I want to move. I want to have a baby with you. And I want to get married. I don't care what the order is. Don't ever think for a second I don't want those things because I do. I just have this anxiety built fear that takes over from time to time."

"I'm proud of you, Alexander." Magnus put his hand on the back of Alec's neck. "We can handle anything together. And you never sound stupid by voicing your feelings. Remember those things and we will always come out on top." He moved his hands in circles in the smalls hairs on Alec's neck. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then trust in those words." Magnus moved his hand away from Alec and started the vehicle. "I wish we had more time to talk right now but the boys are waiting and I'm sure Jace has been steamrolled so much he's in tears."

"You would think he got it together by now, he's a father." Alec twisted to face forward. He held out his hand and put it Magnus' thigh, he just rested it there, and that was enough. The small amount of human contact with Magnus was enough to calm his anxiety and relax him all the way home.


	7. Wedding Wear

**Chapter 7 – Wedding Wear**

"I have officially made up my mind." Magnus flopped down on their bed with a puff of air flaring out the blanket.

Alec had just come out of the bathroom from brushing his teeth; today had been fun but exhausting. The kids just went to bed and he was hoping for a relaxing evening with his book but apparently, Magnus had other plans. He was laid out on their bed in just boxers while Alec was in his NIKE shorts he wore for sleeping. "Yeah, about what?" He finished rubbing the lotion into his hands and went for his nightstand. Plugging in his phone and turning on his bedside light so he could turn off the room light.

Magnus rolled over to rest on his elbow, staring Alec down as he turned the lights off. "It's time we make a decision on our family and I am not letting you sleep until you just give up and agree to my demands."

"Magnus, I was hoping for a quiet night with my book." He went to the bedroom to hit that light then Magnus' nightstand to turn on his light, if they were really going to have this conversation then he wanted to some-what see him. "You said you were exhausted not even five minutes ago. Yawning for added effect and everything."

"I changed my mind." The word 'mind' was stifled by the giant yawn Magnus produced at that moment.

"You were saying." Alec smirked with a slight laugh, "We can wait until morning."

"No, now." Magnus laid back on his back, "We keep putting it off. We keep putting off a lot of things lately and right now I want to decide on our future family."

"Yeah because you said you wanted to wait until after the wedding. So I stopped asking." Alec sat on top of the covers, holding his hand out to Magnus, it rested palm up on his chest, but it was a form of physical contact.

Magnus twisted again to face him, using his right hand to pick up Alec's right hand and lock their thumbs together. "Well, I changed my mind." He held their hands in between them.

"I can see that." He smirked, "Alright, tell me your demands and I'll tell you if I'm sleeping on the couch or not."

Magnus frowned, "That's not funny."

"Demands?" Alec ignored him.

"I want the surrogate and I want you to be the father." Magnus smiled, he was hoping Alec would just agree and not ask questions, but he knew Alec; that was never going to happen.

"What?"

"I want you to have a baby with your hair and eyes. I want you to have a biological baby. I would never tell that to anyone else but you. And I don't mean anything against Max. If that makes sense?" Magnus looked away from Alec and thinking on what he had just said. He wanted to get his idea across without Alec thinking he meant any less to Max.

Alec thought for a moment, "Magnus-"

"You know I will never think any different about Max. I love him. I just want you to have a child with your blood."

Alec nodded, "I know where you're coming from with Max and if we did a surrogate one of us would have to-" He paused for a moment to find the right word, "-donate." He had a slight frown on his face, that didn't seem right. "But I think we should put more thought into this. This is a huge decision."

Magnus smirked at his word choice. "I know and I want it to be you who donates." He used his word on purpose with a glint in his eyes.

"Oh, shut up, you know what I mean."

"I know. But this is what I want. I want our child to be yours."

Alec laid down, twisting to look at Magnus, he just looked over Magnus; he was still not looking at him in the eye. He wanted Magnus to look at him; he wanted to see what emotion was behind Magnus' eyes. "Babe, look at me." When Magnus didn't move, Alec did. He pushed Magnus on his back and rolled over to be kneeling on top of him, "Please?" Alec pulled on both of his arms, intertwining their fingers, and stretching them out above their heads. He bent down close to his face without getting too close.

Magnus looked up at him, "Yes, babe."

"If that's what you want, then I'll do it. To me, I'll just be happy having another baby whether its adoption or surrogate." He bent down for a kiss them, loving the smile he could produce from Magnus. He would do anything to make Magnus happy. "I will do anything to make you happy, but I just want you to be sure this is what you want."

"I want. I want you to be my baby daddy." Magnus laughed at his own joke, getting Alec to join him.

…

"Why exactly are we splitting up this way?" Simon frowned, he was currently sitting on the couch with Clary and Alec who had Raphael on his lap. Alec was playing with Raphael's toy car with him, not really paying attention to the rest of the room.

"Because I said so and Clary needs to help Alec. Plus, Magnus wants to buy Max real shoes." She pointed to the crocs on Max's feet; he was currently on the floor with baby Chris and Jace. He looked up at Izzy then down to his shoes, after not seeing a problem he went back to playing. Magnus was standing slightly behind Izzy so he could hide if need to when Alec popped his head up.

Which he did. Alec frowned, "That's crap. Max likes his shoes." He thought for a moment, "And what do I need help with?"

"Clothes. You need help with clothes. If I see that band shirt one more time, it's going to the next bonfire." Izzy pipped in.

Magnus spoke up, "No, he keeps that shirt." He held up his hand to stop her from arguing with him, "That is our first date shirt, and it took me two years to finally get him out of that shirt. The shirt stays."

Alec smiled at Magnus with a wink, "Yeah, the shirt stays."

Clary snickered, "You should have seen Alec's hair that night." She whispered under her breath, not so silently. "I can't prove it but they did something."

"You two are so weird." Jace cut in. "I can't even remember the clothing I wore on our first date."

"Yeah, because we were like twelve. I'm sure acid wash jeans and butterfly clips were involved." Clary frowned, shaking her head at the vivid memory.

"It doesn't matter, that shirt stays." Magnus was staring at Alec with a look of pure lust on his face and he didn't care who saw it. He wanting nothing more then to take him out of that shirt again. Like Magnus' tie they traded that shirt back and forth and he would never get rid of it.

"Whatever, the groups are Magnus, Max, Jace, me, and the baby. Then Simon, Clary, Alec, and Raphael. This is a family fun day people and we will have fun, dammit." Izzy raised her voice at the end, "All the boys need suits for the wedding and that includes Chris. Clary and I need dresses. The colors are white and silver. I don't care where you go, just get it done. We will meet at the restaurant by six."

Alec frowned, "Our child better come home with his crocs, even if he's not wearing them at the time." Alec pointed to Magnus who just grinned with a look of 'yeah right'.

Alec's group was taking his SVU since it already had the booster seat and have the room for them. While the other group took Jace's minivan. They split with Clary taking the longest to say goodbye to Chris and warning the boys in the minivan to take care of her baby, excluding Izzy.

Alec drove them out to the mall with the most options in their price range while although had lake in the name wasn't anywhere near an actual lake. It was easy to find things for the boys especially Raphael since he fell in love with a suit set that had a mint green vest and tie. It didn't match the colors that Izzy and Magnus had sat up for the wedding but he didn't care. Raphael wanted it and Alec wanted him to like what he wore so he got it. He did buy a little silver tie to see if maybe Magnus didn't like the green and wanted to get him more matching but Alec was okay with the green. Clary said it was a light enough green that it wouldn't matter, so Raphael got his suit. Clary took the longest, at one point Simon took Raphael to the food court and center play area while Alec stayed behind because Clary went nuts when he tried to leave. This was his wedding and he needed to help her. So, he sat in the dress shop waiting for her to try on dress after dress with neither agreeing on one… yet. They spent another hour just the two of them when Alec finally went around the store himself to find something; he went back to the dressing room door when he noticed a light blue dress he liked.

"Clary, here." She opened the door in a cream-colored dress with light floral prints all over it. "No, here." Alec held out the dress with a frown at the last one. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, what's up?" She called from the other side of the door.

"You can't tell anyone, not even Jace or I can't tell you." Alec sighed, he wanted to talk to her but if Jace found out the world would know and Magnus would kill him. "I'm supposed to keep it a secret."

"Okay." She opened the door with the blue dress on.

Alec smiled, "I like this one."

The dress went down to just above the knee and had long sleeves with a fitted waist and a wide circular top covering everything. It was classic and slightly revealing at the same time.

"I do too." Clary held out her hand to Alec, walking them over to the floor length mirror. She wrapped her arm in his; they looked like a couple to anyone on the outside. "Remember when Magnus thought we were married?"

"Oh god, that was funny." Alec smiled, "We're having a baby."

"I mean, it's a little soon. I should divorce Jace first, don't you think?" Clary smiled at him. "Oh and we might want to have sex. And there's the issues of you being totally into dick."

Alec tilted his head to rest on her, staring at her in the mirror, ignoring her banter. "We selected our surrogate. I go in next week to do my thing." He frowned, he still had not found a better word.

"Alexander Lightwood, that is fantastic news. When are you telling everyone?"

He nodded, his massive grin reappearing, "After it takes. I go in; then she goes in, then they said a month to know if it worked." He couldn't stop himself, he had to talk to someone about it, "Is it weird I'm scared?"

Clary frowned, "You have every right to feel any way you want. But why scared? Second thoughts?"

"No, no second thoughts, but having a baby is a big deal. I didn't care which one of us did the donating but Magnus said it had to be me. Maybe I'm just nervous on how the boys will react." He wanted to look away from her but he couldn't. Clary was one of his best friends; he told her everything. "We were going to wait but neither of us really wanted to. The process takes time and either way we are getting married. There is a chance it won't take and I don't want to get my hopes up, but I want this baby. I need this baby." His eyes frosted over, "I can't explain the depths that I feel when I say I've never wanted anything the way I want my family to be complete, and I just feel like Magnus and I want this so bad."

"Alec, I have never met anyone who loves kids more than you, you are such a great father to both your boys and mine. I know what you mean, I felt that want before Chris and I feel it again. It's a want so powerful that it becomes a need like you need air." She smiled, "I can't wait for you to have another baby."

"We also put an offer on a house over in the Township. We're supposed to know by Monday."

"You're just full of secrets today."

Alec caught the movement in the mirror behind them. Raphael came running around the corner with Simon not far behind him. "Hey, buddy," Alec twisted to pick him up, still standing in the mirror with Clary. "What do you think of Clary's dress?"

"She's pretty. Like a princess."

"Really beautiful, Clary." Simon came over to stand with all of them.

"Thanks, guys." She smiled at her two best friends and Raphael. "Let's go check out."

"You two check out," Alec finished his car keys out of his pocket and handed them to Simon, "We'll meet you by the car. Raphael and I have somewhere to go real quick." He set him down to pick up his hand and lead them off.

"You think that's safe. Izzy told us not to leave Alec alone in the clothing store."

"We're in a dress shop." Clary pointed out, "I'm sure they are going to the toy store. They'll be fine. I'll meet you at the counter." Clary hid in the dressing room, suddenly worried Alec was going to get them all in trouble. Maybe they shouldn't have left Alec alone.

…

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, our wedding is canceled." Magnus looked up from his son to his fiancée who was making his way around the table to get Max out of Izzy's arms to bring him over, he needed to figure out what he wanted to eat and it was too hard to do that across the table. Max had gotten picky over the last year and it was better to fight with him in hushed tones then in front of the entire family. "I'm calling it off. I can't marry you."

Alec smiled, keeping Max close to him. "Are you breaking up with me this time?" The table seemed to freeze for a moment. "Usually, I do the breaking up."

"You put my kid in crocs!" Magnus looked up from Raphael's feet that held a new shiny pair of green crocs with little things on the top of them, clip on monsters. "You let him buy Raphael a pair of crocs." Magnus pointed at Clary.

Clary paled while Simon laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes, "Oh my god, I told you we shouldn't have left them alone."

Alec grinned, "I asked him if he wanted them, he said yes."

"I wanna match my brother." Raphael smiled up at his dad, holding up his foot as much as he could, putting his croc covered foot on Magnus' leg. "Max has blue and I have green. Max is my little brother and we match now."

Alec smirked, walking Max over to his seat, he picked him up to look over the menu with a laugh when he noticed Max was still wearing his crocs. "I know what our boys want."

Magnus eyed Clary with a frown and a strong glare, "I'm blaming you and Simon for this."

Clary laughed, "What? Look at that face." She pointed to Alec, "How can you say no to that face? Alec's so darn cute." She mimicked a baby voice towards the end.

"Sitting right here." Jace pipped in not taking his eyes off of Chris who was trying to eat his napkin. "I'm always sitting right here." He got a little dramatic towards the end, raising his voice on the last few words.

Magnus eyed her again, then turned to Alec who had a goofy grin on his face. "Fine. But never again are you buying the boys their shoes." He looked at Alec for this part, really looking at him; locking eyes. He saw the laughter behind his blue eyes with a smile he hadn't seen in such a long time. Like the air had officially cleared from the last year. They didn't talk about it much but slowly the blue of Alec's eyes became brighter and brighter; he was finally back.

"Awe, babe, I love you too." Alec leaned over as close as he could with Max in his arms. Magnus leaned over for a quick kiss; Alec grinned against his lips. Then quickly turned back to Max, "Come on, Maximus. Mac and Cheese, chicken, or pizza." Max shook his head, "You wanna share with me? I'm getting pasta." Alec turned slightly to meet Max's eyes; he nodded up to him. "Okay, go sit with Izzy if you want, you'll have to come back to eat." Alec put Max down and eyed Izzy who nodded at him with understanding. "Chocolate milk, then water when it's gone." She nodded again, pulling Max onto her lap. "Raphael, you wanna share with us?"

Raphael looked over and nodded his head, "Simon," Raphael smiled at him now, who was sitting next to him and across from Izzy. "Will you color with me?"

Simon nodded and bent down to help him. "Of course I do."

"You're going to order two plates of the same thing, aren't you?" Magnus asked.

Alec nodded. "Sure am. They'll never know the difference. I fear when the day comes when they catch on."

Magnus put his hand under the table to intertwine their fingers. Alec removed his hand to grip Magnus' wrist, moving his thumb over the palm of Magnus' hand. Neither let on they were playing with one another under the table with the conversation going on around them. Magnus tuned everything out and looked down at their hands, Alec's right hand playing with his left one. He had never worn his ring before; he wanted to wait until their wedding day but at that moment he wished he had his ring on. He had a secret fetish for playing with Alec's ring and he wanted Alec to have the same one. Alec let go of his wrist to rest his hand on his, palm to palm, fingers resting on fingers. He allowed the conversation to further fade around him, focusing on Alec's hand in his. Alec continued his movements, absentmindedly rubbing their hands together. Featherlight touches. Magnus used his thumb up to press harder against Alec's. He felt his lust kick up a notch at the innocents of it all. Just simple touches.

"What are you two doing?" Jace asked, "Magnus, has been staring down at your lap for like ten minutes."

Magnus looked up at Jace, all eyes on them. Magnus intertwined their fingers and lifted them up, "Alec and I are being handsy."

Jace frowned, "With just your hands?"

"Jace, there are little ears all around you, be careful." Clary was the one who pointed out it out even if the thought was on the edge of Alec's tongue.

Magnus answered, "Yes, Jace." He frowned, "We are in a public restaurant with our entire family. We have slightly more tact than that."

"I know what you two do have done, remember?" Jace winked at them.

"Alright, one time might have been public, but none of them included our family members." Alec shocked the entire table by being the one to speak up. Magnus squeezed his hand being proud for Alec to stand up for them.

"That's not true." Izzy spoke up then, "I remember your second kiss. Max and I were there for that one. That was pretty public."

"That was a kiss-" Alec started his normal change of coloring blush. "-in our own backyard."

"You were straddling Magnus' lap, sucking on his tongue." Izzy countered back. Jace's face slowly started to crack up in laughter, joined shortly by Clary and Simon. "Besides you have a look in your eyes, you're lying."

Alec rolled his eyes, "If Max or Raphael ask us one thing or repeat anything you guys can't keep quiet then you guys will have to explain it to them."

"You really have to learn to speak in code." Magnus agreed, both of them shying away from the topic of their escapees. If only they knew, he knew Jace was talking about their make-out session at the mall when they picked out rings. No one at this table knew about a few of their very public adventures and he would go to great lengths to make sure they never did, including a specific hand job Alec gave him not to long ago on their own street. They couldn't even count it as a hand job since Alec never actually made it into his pants. But they did get an entire hotel room for just a few hours of sex without their children around.

Alec was in agreement on that fact that no one in his family needed to know those types of details. It was bad enough they knew some of them. Jace usually goaded him into revealing details and before he knew Alec was playing into his game.

"I'll have no choice but to learn soon enough." Izzy locked eyes on Simon then she shifted to Alec, something told her to talk to him. They were sitting next to each other but she wanted to see his reactions first. Their relationship had improved so much that no one would ever be able to tell they spent years with her refusing to talk to him. "I'm pregnant."

Alec smiled and froze, "What?"

"I'm pregnant," Izzy repeated as the table seemed to explode with congratulations and hugs. Her insides were racked with nerves all day, she wanted nothing more than Alec's approval. She had wasted so much time in the early part of Max's life and she would never make that mistake again. She knew she didn't need Alec's approval but she wanted it. She wanted her big brother to approve of her and her life. She knew it was a silly thing to want but she did.

Alec sat there staring at her; his sister was completely grown. They were all still in their early twenties and each of them wase married with children or close to it. Their family just continued to grow. When their table seemed to quiet down, Alec held out his hand to Izzy, smirking at her. He waited for her to take his hand before speaking, "Congratulations Isabelle, I'm so proud of you. You will be an amazing mother."

"Alec," Izzy whispered, squeezing his hand. The rest of the family seemed to notice it was time to stop listening to them. Magnus leaned back with his arm on the back of Alec's chair but looking at Jace. The family seemed to start their own conversations leaving Izzy and Alec alone. "How do you know?"

Alec smiled at her, "You are a very passionate person and you will be just as passionate about being a mother as you do with everything else in your life. You're going to be amazing." He leaned over to kiss her cheek, Max was still tucked to her side.

"It took a long time with Max." She stated Max who now playing with Clary but still attached to Izzy.

"That's different. He's not yours." Alec squeezed her hand, "It is much different when you have your own children. Trust me, much different." He wanted to reassure her, "You will be just fine. I promise you. Besides, you have four other people at this table who are parents and if need anything anyone of us is here to help."

"Just remember, Jace still thinks ice cream is its own food group," Magnus smirked and caught the dinner roll that came flying at his head.

Which started a new round of Alec telling Jace how to parent because Raphael picked up his dinner roll and threw it over to Max, which Max did not catch and it ended up at the table behind him. Magnus and Alec spent a full minute apologizing to that table while scolding Jace at the same time. Chris who was sitting on Jace's lap picked up his own roll and chucked it across the table to Magnus but it didn't make it and ended up in Simon's water glass splashing water all over his plate and Raphael's picture which upset Raphael and it took Magnus a full five minutes to get him to calm down over a picture.

…

"Hello," Magnus paused in front of two women talking, one was a very stern looking older woman and the other was a very young looking woman. "Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm looking for someone. The front desk sent me to this floor but their instructions on getting around up here were not very clear." He smiled his bright, award-winning; no one could ever turn down smile. He was in a black suit with a bright, salmon color dress shirt and a color matching tie with swirls all over it with hints of blue mixed in the swirls. He just got out of court and made a random decision to stay downtown.

"Who are you looking for?" The older women grunted out to him.

He kept up his bright smile because she sounded like she could use happy thoughts for the day, "Alec Lightwood." He noticed the instant change in both the women. The younger girl got a huge smile on her face and the older woman to soften just a touch. "Any idea on where I can find him?"

The older woman narrowed her eyes at the young girl, "Go on; you know where that file belongs."

The younger woman didn't move, "I could take-"

"I said go on. You have that meeting in ten minutes." The older woman went back to looking at Magnus, knowing full well the girl would leave them, "This way." She took off without a glance and Magnus was forced to follow her, she stopped at a small desk, "Miss. Green, is Mr. Lightwood in?"

Miss. Green smiled, "Yes, ma'am."

The women nodded and went for Alec's door which was just beyond the admin's desk. She knocked on the open door and waited a moment, "You have a visitor who got lost trying to find you."

Magnus heard Alec but couldn't make out his words.

She stepped into the office and motioned Magnus in, he produced his best smile once more and went into the office, sidestepping around her in the doorway.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Alec stood up and went over to them. "Thanks, Carol." Alec smiled at her; she went to leave but Alec thought better of it, "Carol, wait," He waited for her to turn around then, "This is my partner, Magnus Bane. Magnus, this is one of my team leads, Carol."

Magnus held out his hand, "Nice to meet you and thanks for showing me the way."

"You're welcome." She pointed back towards Alec's desk, "You have a lovely family. Alec has told me all about you and your children." She nodded then and closed the door behind her as she left. Leaving his hand in midair.

Magnus looked at the desk and saw Alec's laptop, some files, and the back of a picture frame. "She seems nice?"

"She is. Just rough around the edges in the beginning. She's come a long way and hasn't complained about me not being smart enough for the job lately." Alec picked up Magnus' hand and pulled him over to the small two-person couch he had along the far wall of his office, "What are you doing here?"

"I had a thing at the courthouse and so I thought I would stop by."

"I have a meeting in a few but I've got some time." Alec sat down with his knee laying on the couch facing Magnus. "What do you think?" He waved his hand around to present his office to him from the view of his couch.

"Perfect." Magnus rested his hand on Alec's leg, "I got a phone call right before I went into the courtroom and had to shut my phone off."

Alec leaned his elbow on the back of the couch, resting his head on his hand while the other hand went to rest on Magnus' arm; he began playing with his suit jacket, "Yeah?"

"From our realtor. We got the house."

"Wha-" Alec sat up straight but there was knock on his door and Miss. Green stuck her head in.

"Sorry, uhm, Carol said she can handle the Knowledge Management Meeting alone. She'll have Jessica type up the notes and give them to you this afternoon." She didn't wait for a response and just closed his door again on her exit.

Magnus took advantage of Alec's distraction and leaned over for a kiss on his neck. Alec turned and Magnus managed to get a second kiss on his lips, "We got the house." He whispered. "45 days and we will pretty new keys to our new home."

Alec smirked pulling back, "That is fantastic news." He couldn't keep the grin off his face, "And with Clary and Jace getting their loaned approved, this is really great news." Magnus licked his lips and went in for another kiss, but Alec pulled back again. "No, no, no, we both know what's going to happen if you kiss me. That is not happening in my new office." Alec stood up with Magnus reaching for him, he had a devil smile on his face and Alec finally knew where the kids got it from. "No." He shook his head.

"Oh babe, please. Just one." Magnus stood up to follow Alec, who was now walking around the office out of Magnus' grasp. "Babe-"

"No."

There was knock on Alec's door. He picked up his photo frame and handed it to Magnus as the door opened, "Here, look at that beautiful family."

Miss. Green came in again, "Sorry, sir, Mr. Kane is upstairs."

"Okay, on my way." Alec closed his laptop and pulled out a black binder along with a pen. "You have to go."

Magnus put the photo down and grabbed Alec's wrist pulling him back. "I at least get a goodbye kiss." He pulled him into a quick kiss, something simple and not all what he had planned for a moment ago. "See you at home."

Alec licked his lips, "Are you going straight for the kids?" He closed his door behind them. "I have my appointment tonight."

"Yeah, no point in going back to the office. Love you." He winked and went off into the direction he came.

"Magnus, go right," Alec called after him with a grin. "Would you?" He looked at his admin while pointing. She just smirked and took off after Magnus, he went the wrong way and was about to get lost again.

Alec had his therapy appointment on the first Thursday of the month, every month. It cost him sixty dollars for an hour to talk to someone who used to be a stranger. He knew he had a problem with anxiety and stress and he didn't want to be on medication, so he still went to his therapist. Talking about his anxiety was helping him learn to control it when possible. Magnus was the only one in the family who knew he still went. It wasn't that he didn't want them to know but he felt like this was something he needed to work through and it was between him and Magnus. He used to rely on his siblings for everything but now he found himself leaning on Magnus more and his siblings less. It still needed them and told them things but he no longer told them everything. It was all helping and the burning he usually felt in his stomach was almost gone, it flared up right before the anxiety hit, almost his body's way of telling him he needed to calm down. The tactics he was learning in therapy to help control his anxiety was slowly allowing him to control other aspects of his life and put it all under control.


	8. The New Lightwood-Bane Residence

**Chapter 8 – The New Lightwood-Bane Residence**

Alec stood in the doorway of their new baby's room. They did the room in all naturals, light browns and yellows; the room was all Magnus and Alec was fine with that. Magnus was the one who knew how to make a room look functional yet livable. This was the special room they had not shown anyone yet, including the boys. It had been two months since they began the process with their surrogate and Alec just got the call that it took. It was a success. They would be parents to a newborn soon. He was waiting for Magnus to get home with Max and Raphael from a quick trip to the store to tell him the good news. It was Friday and they were having a family day tonight instead of on Sunday. This would be the first night any of his siblings had seen the house finished. Jace and Clary moving into the condo there was so much moving around they never made it all over yet. They had a moving company move them and so their siblings has only stopped by a few times when they were still unpacking, but tonight was the night they would see the house. Alec had the idea to leave the baby room unlocked and let them discover the room on their own.

Their new house was a two-story with two bedrooms upstairs, and two in the basement with a wide open area. They put the boys in each room in the basement with their gym, TV, and gaming systems in the open area. They were in the master bedroom with their own bathroom, a similar style to the condo. There was a bathroom upstairs as well as the second bedroom which they turned into the baby room. The first floor had an office area with no closet, a half-bath, the kitchen, and living area. The backyard was about the same size so other than a slight rearranging of the kids sandbox; it was much the same as the condo. The house was including the upstairs was almost 1700 square feet. The basement, which doesn't count as square footage in the state of Michigan, was 1000 square feet. The house on the first floor had an open area design which was a selling point for Alec; he hated that he couldn't cook and listen to the TV or see in the condo. He spent so much of his time cooking for his family; he wanted to see the TV as well or even listen to it. None of the gaming systems were allowed upstairs or on the first floor; basement only. That was Magnus' rule. Which Alec seconded in a heartbeat.

He heard the door close and spun around to greet them; he left the baby room open to air it out since they had not been in the room since they completed it a few weeks ago. Alec went over to the railing to look down; the boys were gone in a split second to their basement haven, "Magnus?"

Magnus looked up at him; he could not see the baby room's open door from where he was, "You done cooking?"

"Yeah, until they get here. Come up here." Alec raised his eyebrows at him, "I got a secret."

"Secrets. I like secrets." Magnus smirked, climbing the stairs when he reached the halfway point he could finally see the open baby room door. He tilted his head, "Whatcha doin'?"

"I think we should leave the door open and let our family find it." Alec twisted, so his back was to the railing, he rested his elbows on the white painted wooden rail.

Magnus came up to him, resting his hip against the rail so he could look at Alec sideways, "We said we wouldn't do that until Lisa or the doctor called."

"Yes, I agree," Alec smiled, but it was clear on the look on Magnus' face he wasn't getting what Alec was trying to tell him. "So, we should leave the door open."

Magnus looked back at the door then back at Alec, "But we said-"

"Magnus," Alec smiled at him, "Let's leave the door open."

"Wait?" Magnus stood up straight, "You got a call!"

"We're having a baby, you big idiot." Alec pulled hard on Magnus' shirt to crush his lips against Magnus'; his fiancée had an awe-d look on his face. Alec pulled back after a short kiss, "We need to tell the boys before the family gets here."

"Ten minutes." Magnus smirked, "I need to see you for ten minutes." Magnus twisted his hands in Alec's light hoodie he wore and pushed him back towards their room. "I need one thing from you first."

"The monsters are running around," Alec smirked, walking willingly where Magnus pushed him.

He grinned, "They have a new game. They won't be up here any time soon." Magnus used his foot to shut their door once they cleared the doorway. "Besides, what I want to do to you only takes ten minutes." He licked his lips.

…

"So when are we getting a tour of this place?" Clary asked from her stop on the floor with the boys and Chris. Raphael had herded the cats upstairs to play and they actually came which surprised Clary more since both had been wary of Chris.

"We're going to wait until Simon and Izzy get here." Magnus pulled Max off the floor, "You still have dirt on your hands, go wash them correctly." He pointed him in the direction of the first-floor bathroom with a push. He didn't even know where the dirt came from but he already told him once to go wash his hands.

"I did. It won't come off."

Magnus frowned and followed him into the bathroom. "Were you playing with a marker?"

Clary couldn't heard Max's reply but it must have been good because Alec laughed when he walked by, shaking his head. He pushed on Jace's arm as he went by the couch. Jace pushed back but missed as Alec had already moved out of range. He took a seat on the floor next to Raphael and Chris. "Hey, little man." Alec ruffled Chris's hair then Raphael's. "Did you bring your backpack in?" He had picked up the boys from summer camp but couldn't remember since they quickly turn around and left with Magnus almost as soon as they got in the door. They had swim earlier in the day, so he packed Raphael with a backpack with their trunks and snacks for the pool area. Towels were provided for them.

"Yeah, it's downstairs." Raphael nodded, not looking up. "Our trunks are in the laundry room."

"Thanks, Raph," Alec smiled, "Good job."

Izzy and Simon showed up not too much later and the tour began. They started in the basement where Max and Raphael had to take ten minutes a piece showing off their rooms. Alec held back by the stairs with Magnus. He was leaning against a short wall that held an under stairs closet. Magnus held himself against Alec with his hand flat on Alec's back and between the wall.

"You okay?" Magnus whispered Alec had been surprisingly quiet since they left their bedroom earlier. It had taken longer than ten minutes but that was Alec's fault for wanting to return the favor. They quickly brushed their teeth and headed down to find their children. They were right where Magnus said they would be; playing their new Lego video game.

"Yeah," Alec looked over Magnus, licking his lips. He leaned in for a kiss which Magnus gladly returned. Everyone was distracted by the boys that they had a moment of freedom to kiss without Jace being a teenager and make fun of them. Neither of the other Lightwood couples were into public displays. He and Alec weren't either but in the safety of their own home whether the family was there or not was a different story.

Magnus got Alec to open up under the skillful work of his tongue; he pulled back moving in to kiss his jaw, then his cheek, then just below his ear. "I want you to think-" Magnus whispered, "-about what I did with that tongue just an hour ago."

Alec closed his eyes; he felt himself getting turned on; they needed to stop. He pushed on Magnus' chest, "Stop that."

Magnus smirked, "Come on, you know better than that."

"Alright, boys that's enough." Alec kicked himself off the wall and went to Max's room where they currently were. "Let's go upstairs."

"Chicken," Magnus smirked, catching Alec's eye before heading upstairs. Jace gave him a look but didn't say anything. Everyone following up the stairs. Magnus showed them around the first floor and into the garage, the backyard, and the side garden Alec wanted.

Alec took them upstairs showing off their master suite first then he stood back to let them explode Clary being the person she is when straight for the closed doors, first seeing the hall closet then she opened the room to their new nursey. She got an odd look on her face with a massive smile and stepped back, closing the door. She turned to find Alec and Magnus staring at her.

With her lack of response, Magnus narrowed his eyes on Alec, "You told her!"

The rest of the family seemed to freeze at his start, watching them.

Alec smirked, "A while ago." He looked like a sheep trying to hide from the wolf.

"Alexander!" Magnus groaned, "How could you?"

"It was before we knew." He went over to Clary, holding onto her arm and semi-hiding behind her, she just shook her head with a laugh.

Izzy frowned going over to the door and opening it. She took a moment to take in the room before her, blocking the view from the boys; she tilted her head back to look around, "Are you serious?" She smiled, it was a slow build into a broader smile. She put her hand on her stomach and opened the door wide for the rest of the family to see.

Max pulled on Jace's pant leg; he knelt down not getting a chance to see in the room yet, "What's up buddy?" 

"I get to be a big brother." He smiled, "I'm like Raph now."

Jace stood up fast making Chris fuss in his arms; he cranked his head to see into the room, then he looked down at Max, "You are."

Magnus held up his hand as the questions started, "Stop." He waited for them to all calm down. "Let's go downstairs and eat and we will tell our story during dinner. Then if you have questions, you may ask them." He pointed at the stairs, "Go. That way."

Magnus could tell the questions were killing the girls, they were both on the edge of their seats the whole time, they dished out their food and they sat around the table. Alec's favorite piece of furniture they bought, a dining room table that fit up to ten people when fully extended. There would be no more eating around a coffee table and sitting on the floor. They could have a full family dinner. Magnus tried to convince him, his favorite piece of furniture should be their brand new king size bed but Alec had to remind him that meant more space apart when they slept, which caused Magnus to frown.

"Alright, you two can stop drilling holes in my head," Alec grumbled. "Magnus and I have been talking about wanting to extend our family since we got engaged. Well, we finally felt we were at a place that it was time. We said we would wait until after the wedding but the process could be a long one, so we decided two months ago on the avenue we wanted to go."

"Surrogate then adoption if that didn't work." Magnus cut in.

"We found our surrogate; her name is Lisa. She already has two children of her own and was willing to carry our child with a random egg donor." Alec smiled, Lisa was in her thirties and was first shocked to find out how young Alec was.

"So-" Jace took a long pause, "Whose-" he pointed between Magnus and Alec but towards the table, not at their faces. "Do you sleep with her?" He felt the smack more than saw it coming; Clary hit him upside the head at the stupid question.

"Jace, I don't care if you don't understand the process or not, that's not something you ask with little ears." She hissed at him.

"No," Alec answered, "It's a cup type of situation and if you really want to know I'll tell you." Jace nodded leaning out of reach from Clary. "It was me. It's a bizarre process and I don't know if I could do that again." He shuttered slightly at the memory.

Jace smirked, "Really? I think it would simple."

"You're in a random room with tons of videos and magazines that have been watched or touched by any random number of other people, but first they ask you your preference so they send you into the right room with a cup and lid." Alec frowned at the memory, it was the most awkward experience of his life and he was in there for far longer than he cared to admit.

"You mean Magnus couldn't go with you."

"Eww, can we stop talking about this?" Izzy frowned at her brothers.

Alec shook his head, keeping his eyes on Jace and not the fact that Magnus was leaning towards him with his hand resting on his leg. "No, it's just you and whatever fantasy helps you get the end result."

Magnus squeezed his leg; it was time for payback for telling Clary early. He almost felt bad for the red blush Alec was about to experience, "Uhm, I guess I should have sent you with photos of myself to help get to that end result."

"Please tell me we are talking of the inappropriate variety?" Jace questioned.

"Of course, it would be more than my smiling face." Magnus grinned, looking squarely at Jace.

Simon was drinking from his glass of water and started coughing so hard Jace had to pat him on the back a few times. Alec turned his standard 15 shades of red. Clary laughed, and Izzy paled. Jace was the only one who stayed stoic.

"Oh my god, I hate you two." Alec pipped in.

Magnus smirked, "That's what you get for telling Clary. We promised it would be a secret."

"I just told her were going to try. Nothing more." Alec felt Magnus squeeze his leg again.

"I should take back that present I got your earlier." Magnus eyed him with an evil smile, squeezing his leg again, just a little higher this time. Sending a message loud and clear on what he meant. "I should have waited to give it to you, not before they got here."

Alec felt his eyes go wide, "Don't you dare say a word."

Jace leaned back in his seat, making sure the boys or Clary weren't watching and make a jerking motion with his hand at Alec and Magnus.

Magnus winked at him, "Much farther north." Magnus blew him a kiss which caused Alec to slam his head on the table, narrowly missing his empty plate. The boys seemed to not even notice the world around them as all three of them were talking as much as Chris could speak with the older boys. Clary's eyes went wide, Simon shook his head, and Izzy looked like she was going to be sick.

Alec groaned, his voice soften by the table, "I hate you both."

"What? It's not like I told them you returned the favor." Magnus squeezed his leg and Alec just groaned. "Oops." Magnus smirked.

"Alright, stop, please." Izzy shook her head, "You guys are grossing me out. I don't want to think about either of you on your knees."

Alec groaned again. They were the only ones who knew that they weren't on their knees. They were laying in bed when the favors were exchanged; no knees were involved. He banged his head one more time on the table just lightly.

Magnus smiled at her, "Anyway, the surrogate called today to tell us the process took, she's two months along and will send us a list of doctors' appointments and everything we need. We haven't decided if we are going to find out if it's a boy or girl yet. But I'm in favor of waiting." Magnus put his hand on the back of Alec's neck; he began rubbing his thumb in a swiping back and forth.

"Who are you kidding?" Alec popped back up to stare at him, Magnus' hand slid down Alec's back. "You would find out yesterday if you could. You need to make 'enhancements' to the baby's room."

Clary nodded, "I had to know."

"I don't. I want to be surprised." Izzy finally spoke again now that they were on a safer topic.

"Magnus, says we need to talk about it but we don't. He won't be able to hold out." Alec grinned at him, Magnus sent him a slight glare. Alec leaned in for a small kiss on the side of Magnus' frowning mouth; which changed from a glare to a smile at his approach.

"Could you imagine mom's face at this moment?" Jace asked when the conversation broke for a moment, no one talked about his adoption but once in a while he thought about both sets of parents he lost over the years.

"She'd be glowing," Alec smirked, this was conversation they never had. Magnus was the only adult who never met his parents and that she made him sad. Or any of their grandchild, Max, Raphael, Chris, and the two yet to be born. It wasn't something he liked to think about. "Three grandchildren with two on the way. She would be up in arms with things to do. Never stopping for a moment."

Clary giggled, "But in the same sentence she would grill you about why isn't adoption good enough." She put her hand on the back of Jace's chair so she could rub his exposed neck. "With dad sitting next to her with his arms crossed just nodding with whatever she said."

"She wouldn't even pause before also asking for every detail about this 'Lisa' person," Izzy smirked.

"From blood type to college records," Simon added.

Magnus sat back and just listened to the siblings carry on, he felt Alec grow a little tense under the conversation, he was not comfortable with this talk but he still smiled for his siblings. He took the death of his parents hard; his saving grace was Max. "I think I would have liked her," Magnus spoke, looking only at Alec.

"She would have loved you," Clary added after a moment. "Simon and I would have been pushed to the side and never spoken to again." She continued her movement on Jace's neck. He brought up the conversation but she still knew how hard it was for him to talk about.

"Really?" Magnus looked at her.

Alec deeply smiled, but it was Clary who spoke up, "She was sassy and held nothing back when it was appropriate. She had this way of being calm and silent then she would come out with this one-liner and it would just kill you."

Magnus squeezed Alec's neck, adding just enough pressure to convey his feelings, "You told me before she would love my snarky comments."

"Oh yes, she would have loved those. Robert was the hard-ass, you did your job and you did it right, no complaints. But Maryse ran the house. If she said no then it was no. Robert would never go against his wife." Jace nodded along with the memories racing through his head. "Like the night Alec came out to them. That was funny. Rainbow shirt and all."

Alec smirked, "She went a little overboard sometimes."

"Are you okay with us using a surrogate over adopting?" Magnus asked Jace in a completely serious nature. "Honestly, Jace?"

Jace thought about it for a moment, "I have much to be grateful for thanks for the Lightwoods. They took me in no questions asked and gave me their love and their last name. Alec did the same thing-" Jace looked over to the boys, "I do think there are many kids in the systems that need out but I'm not going to hold that against anyone if they don't. Clary and I talked about adoption before and decided against it." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Maybe in the future."

"I wish they could have met our kids. Maryse would have been over the moon over all of them." Clary looked over at Izzy.

Izzy was looking at the boys, who were all sitting near her, not saying anything.

"It's not a daunting as it may seem, Izzy." Alec spoke up, noticing Clary's line of sight, "Anyone in the world can tell you how to be a parent but really it comes down to yourself. I had no one telling me what to do and I think Max turned out fine so far. And it will be the same for you."

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Something you learn as a parent. Mind reading." Magnus smirked, "Just like I know that Raph thinks that us being distracted it going to get him out of eating his veggies, but him, me, and Max-" Magnus eyed both the boys when they looked up at him, "-know they are not leaving this table until they're gone." He pointed at their plates. Raphael opened his mouth to retort, but Magnus spoke first, "That new video game you got this morning will be gone." His voice shifted to a hard set letting the boys know he meant business.

Max straightened in his chair and eyed his green veggies, "Dad, they're green." He looked up at Alec.

Alec didn't want to go against Magnus but he forgot when he made the plates and gave Max peas instead of corn and he didn't notice until just now. "Switch your plate with Raphael."

"But I don't want those either," Raphael complained.

Magnus looked at Izzy, "See, being a parent is easy." He stood up and walked around the table to them. He knelt down between their two chairs and started to whisper.

Alec sighed, "Time to clean up." He stood up and grabbed him and Magnus' plates. The entire table aside from the small children were done anyway. Even Chris went to town on his peas.

Everyone stood up to help except for Izzy, the boys and Magnus who was still telling them what he planned to take away if they didn't listen. Since the move into the new house, each boy was beginning to show a little more of their personality and they were starting to not listen again. They were both so excited for the move and the new school year that they both seemed to go back to things Magnus and Alec thought were non-issues. Izzy sat back and listened, Magnus got them to switch plates and finish their food, it only took another ten minutes of them slowly eating.

Magnus finally stood up with their semi-empty plates, "I mean Alec only gave you a half spoonful each and it literally took ten minutes."

Izzy laughed at him; she stuck it out with him.

"I'll give you a hint, when you find something each of you are good at in the parenthood realm, then stick to it. Alec is the baby whisperer and the food whisperer, he usually does this and they will eat right up. I do it and it's practically child abuse."

"I did not make it easier by giving them the wrong plates." Alec walked up, taking the plates from Magnus' hands, "Boys, go wash up and then you can play up here or downstairs." They both zoomed off like their lives depended on it or Magnus giving them more veggies.

Izzy looked confused, "Does Max really hate green that much? I guess I never really noticed."

"Hates it." Magnus nodded, "Won't wear it. Won't color with it. Won't eat it."

"He used to cry when he was a baby up into the toddler age when I tried to dress him in green. That was a hard lesson to learn because he was so upset but he couldn't tell you why he was upset. He's better now with toys if they have lots of other colors but it used to be he wouldn't even touch a toy if it had any green. Wouldn't play on the grass and now I can't keep him inside." Alec busied himself with cleaning the last of their plates.

"That is so weird."

"That's your nephew, weird little creature," Alec smirked at Izzy taking her hand to help her up from the table; they followed Magnus into the living room. Jace, Clary, Simon and the boys were all sitting around. Alec walked Izzy over to sit by Simon before kissing her hand, "You're going to be okay at this parenting thing, Iz."

"So are you, soon-to-be-daddy." She smirked at him.

Magnus being Magnus, took this perfect moment to once again get back at Alec for speaking to Clary, "Oh, she can call you daddy but I can't, huh?" Magnus winked at Alec, who groaned and rolled his eyes. "Daddy."

"He's not your daddy; he's mine." Max frowned up from his spot on Clary's lap. Jace exploded in laughter at the dramatic turn of Magnus' joke. "And Raph's."

"It was a joke." Magnus tried to backtrack but Max was already on the train of confusion and would not let it go. Magnus had to spend the next hour explaining to him why he couldn't tell people a grown man called his dad, 'daddy'. Not only did Alec get pissed but Jace read him the riot act because for once it was not Jace messing up around the boys.

The night ended shortly after that, both the boys would need baths and it had already been a long week both physically with the moving and emotional with the news of their growing family. Alec wouldn't say it outright to his siblings but later he would talk to Magnus about hard it still was to talk about his parents. He always felt like they would again walk in the door at any moment as if they were off on some grand adventure and they would soon be coming home.

Alec was on bath duty as Magnus finished cleaning up and getting their bedrooms ready for bed. It didn't take long to get the boys freshly cleaned and put in their rooms. Max still needed his story, they had moved up to chapter books and they would read a chapter a night. It was one of Alec's favorite part of the day, he could snuggle up with his son and just read to him. He knew Max would out grow that and he dreaded when the day came that Max told him no to their night time routine.

By the time Alec made it upstairs all the lights were off, which meant Magnus had beat him to the bedroom. He found Magnus on their bed with his work laptop propped on his lap with a case file on the bed, spread open.

"Really?"

"Sorry, Valentine fucked us over again. Someone has to play catch up."

"When is your company going to learn from their mistakes and fire that asshole?" Alec began his nightly routine for bed, walking around the room for his clothes and picking up his book he left on his dresser that morning and tossing it onto his side of the bed.

Magnus watched Alec moving around the room. "Don't get dressed." He spoke up as Alec took his t-shirt off and was currently standing in the middle of the room with his hands on his jeans, button undone just waiting on the zipper.

"What?"

"I'm just going to strip you naked. Come here." Magnus shut his laptop and put it on his nightstand, he picked up his files and tossed them on the floor near his side of the bed.

"Magnus-"

"Do you know how sexy you look right now?" Magnus went up onto his knees, "Shirtless with your hands on your jeans ready to unzip them. My own private strip tease."

"I'm getting naked for bed, not for you to drool over me." Alec arched an eyebrow. "I feel objectified."

Magnus grinned, holding out his hand for Alec to take, which he did. "Come here, babe. I need you naked."

Alec just laughed and went with what Magnus wanted. He wanted it too; their ten minutes earlier was not enough. He wanted to celebrate with Magnus for their new family. "Always so demanding with my clothes."

"You like it." Magnus laid back on the bed, pulling Alec with him. He went down with a kiss and that was just the prelude to the rest of their Friday night.


	9. A Malec Wedding Finally

**Chapter 9 – A Malec Wedding… Finally**

"Alexander Lightwood, if you don't get out of here right now!" Magnus pushed on him towards their bedroom door, "Go!"

"What?" Alec sheepishly grinned at his soon-to-be husband, "I'm just trying to help." He reached for the tie, trying to pull it from his location around Magnus' neck but he wasn't fast enough and Magnus swatted at his hands knocking him off. "Magnus-"

Magnus huffed at him, "I've had to re-tie my tie and rebutton my shirt three times because you keep distracting me with a kiss and taking them off." He reached up for his tie, slipping it off but keeping it in his hands.

"How is that a bad thing?" Alec kept his grin on strong, "I was helping."

"I'm trying to get dressed for the wedding, not get naked for the honeymoon. You are not helping." Magnus pushed on his again. "You can help me get naked later, not now."

Clary stood there in the doorway, "Why is it always me that hears these things?" She asked from her spot.

"Oh thank god. Would you take this dog and do something with him?" Magnus pushed on Alec again to get him closer to his sister-in-law. "The kids too, they are driving me crazy!" He raised his voice at the last word, hoping the boys would hear him.

Alec frowned, "That wasn't very nice."

Magnus reached forward, bunching Alec's perfectly pressed suit jacket in his hands and pulled him forward. He kissed him, grounding their mouths together with all the passion he could dare display with Clary in front of them. He swiped his tongue across Alec's bottom lip to get him to open to him. Alec met him gladly in the perfect kiss. It only lasted thirty seconds before Magnus was pushing him back. "I'll see you at the altar. I love you." Magnus shut the bedroom door in Alec and Clary's face.

Alec stepped back, licking his lips then using his thumb to rub his bottom lip.

"Oh my god, are you two even going to make it down the aisle without stripping each other naked?" Clary grinned.

Alec shook his head, clearing the fog from their kiss. "No promises." He began smoothing out his suit jacket.

"That was kinda hot." She laughed at the look he gave her. "Come on, lover boy. We have to get the boys and leave before Magnus breaks up with you. And the boys." They were going early with all three boys. Jace was bringing Magnus and Ragnor.

Ragnor had finally made it back into town for the wedding and would be staying for the ten days that Magnus and Alec were going to be gone, they finally decided to book a cruise and they would be staying over extra days. They couldn't agree on the location, so Alec brought up visiting many different countries at the same time. They were flying out tomorrow afternoon, staying in Florida then cruising for seven days then another two nights in Florida before flying home. The boys seemed to not even care even though they explained what was going to be happening. Max even said bye before they were finished the plans. Alec was having a harder time then Magnus or the boys. Later in the night when they were alone, Magnus promised he would spending so much time distracting Alec with sex he wouldn't even know how long they were gone for. Alec was doubtful which produced a dare on Magnus' part and now Alec was slightly scared for what Magnus had planned, let alone the eyebrow he arched at the amount of condoms and lube Magnus had packed. Alec reminded him that they were not going to be gone that long and Magnus shrugged and said, 'I have plans for you, remember?' Alec never said another word about it. He learned by now to just let Magnus do what he wanted and try not to be scared.

Nothing compared to seeing Magnus in his suit, knowing it was the suit he was going to become husbands in. It did wild things to Alec's insides and he slowly wanted to strip each piece from his body and worship him. It was an all-black suit with a silver tie which held a glint in certain lights. It was sexy and Alec wanted to see it on their bedroom floor. He had lost control of himself a few minutes, Magnus was standing in their bathroom when Alec had come in from seeing if the boys were ready and the powers that be took over. He got instantly hard and needed to get Magnus out of that suit. He had seen him in suits all the time, it's all he wore to work. But this was different. This was an all-black suit from heaven. Or hell.

Alec was dressed in a similar black suit however his shirt was more of a deep silver with a black tie. He always looked well for work with dress pants and ties but he rarely wore a full suit with jacket. He wanted to look nicer, so he spent more than usual on this suit and had it tailored.

"Just give me one second." Alec turned in a flash and went straight back upstairs going into their bedroom with a knock, glad to know Magnus had not locked them out. "Magnus?" Alec called out.

Magnus came out of the bathroom again, "Alec, I told you-"

"Shut up." Alec came up to him, bringing his mouth within inches of Magnus'. "Tell me you love me one more time."

Magnus picked up Alec's left hand and kissed where his black ring was just the night before. Alec had made a big deal of taking it off; there was a small strip of white skin where the ring had left its mark. It was actually sad to see the strip of skin without its ring in place. "I love you."

Alec let out a deep sigh, he picked up Magnus' tie and smoothed it out, laying it straight, "I'm nervous."

Magnus tilted his head down to see Alec's eyes; Alec was locked on his tie, "Look at me." Magnus kissed him then, no heat just a gentle kiss. "Come on, boy toy, look at me." Alec finally looked up at him, Magnus was shocked by the emotion in his eyes, pure lust and something else he couldn't make out. "What's going on in that head of yours?" Magnus let his hands fall to Alec's shoulder, bring them around to the base of his neck if there was music they could have been dancing.

"Aren't you scared?" Alec looked at him, he wanted to take him to bed and reassure himself that this was the path they were meant to take, he loved him and he wanted to show it in the most basic way he knew how. He wanted them naked, "After Camille-" He couldn't bring himself to finish his thought.

"I never loved Camille." Magnus his eyes locked, "I never felt half of what I feel for you with her. I know you're nervous and it's okay to be nervous. Weddings can have that effect but so can kids and a mortgage, which we have done without a single nerve. It's okay."

"You don't think I'm being weird."

"I mean, yes, you are being weird but I love for you it. I love all of you including your weirdness." Magnus was whispering now as if that would make it a secret between them. "Talk to me."

"I miss my ring." Alec finally said, "I know its weird but it started when you took it off last night. I got nervous when you put it in the box. Like I would never see it again."

Magnus pulled the small box from his pocket, "You mean this box?"

"Yeah, can I have my ring back?" Alec watched the box as Magnus moved it in front of them, he went to reach for it but Magnus pulled back. "Please?"

Magnus nodded, he opened the box and pulled out Alec's ring, he checked the inside just to make sure. Magnus held onto Alec's wrist as he slid the ring on the hand Alec was already holding up, he could see the instant relaxation in Alec's shoulders. "How do you go from wanting to strip me naked to wanting your ring?"

"It's a symbol that I'm taken and no one can touch me-" Alec froze the second the words were out of his mouth. He hadn't expected those words; he never said them out loud before. He felt them. He had spoken to himself dozens of times but never once out loud and never to Magnus. "Safe." He finally whispered.

Magnus frowned, "No one can hurt you because it's your security blanket?"

"I feel safe, like your always with me."

"Oh, Alexander," Magnus wanted to cry, his heart was breaking because for a moment Alec was back in that moment, that horrible moment that kept him at a distance to every man on the planet except those in his own family. "Will you put mine on me?" Magnus held up the box with his right hand and his left hand straight out.

Alec wanted to say no, he knew it was important for Magnus to do this at the wedding but he couldn't. He wanted to see Magnus in his ring and hoped it would be as much as a security to him. He took the box and extracted the ring, tossing the box onto their bed. He slowly put the ring on Magnus with a smile, "It's beautiful." Alec raised his hand to kiss it.

Magnus smiled, "I will never let anyone hurt you like that way again. I know those emotions won't go away overnight or even over the last year and a half, they are going to take time. PTSD is a real thing and it takes time to learn how to deal with those emotions. But if this ring makes them easier to handle when I can't be near you then how can I keep it from you." He held the tears behind his eyes if he blinked they would have fallen, "What that man did you was horrible but remember he will never hurt you again and I will make sure of it. You are safe."

"You're right; I can't get them to go away. They are better than before and they get better with each moment, but this ring does make it easier." Alec looked at their hands, "The night you put it on me the first time was the night I felt everything shift back into focus. I knew I would get better and I would be able to give you everything you needed in this marriage and I guess taking it off sort of made me nervous like I- I was losing something and I wouldn't get it back." Alec shook his head, "I don't know if any of that makes sense."

"It does, because it makes sense to you. We can't play the 'what if' game because it's endless but we can face facts and move on. Emotions are never black and white and if this ring is the emotional item you need to help you after a horrible scene then who I am to take it away." Magnus kissed Alec's cheek, "Can I tell you a secret?" "He whispered against Alec's skin.

Alec nodded, loving the feeling of Magnus' lips on him.

"I have a secret fetish for that ring on your finger; it is such a turn on." Magnus whispered, "You had to have noticed how often I kiss your finger. I love seeing my ring on your finger. You are not the only one who needs an emotional security blanket. Mine just happens to be on your finger." He pulled back, "You have to go now, I need to finish getting ready. Are you okay now?"

Alec nodded, too hazy for words. He wanted to cry, happy tears but tears all the same. Magnus really did get him and all his weirdness. "This isn't always going to be an issue for me, is it?"

"I don't know." He spoke honestly, "Some days are better than others and we will do like we have been doing. Taking everything a day at a time when it gets to be too much."

"Where would I be without you?" Alec tilted his head to the side; his insides turned over. He was really seeing Magnus for the first time, but not really, he remembered the moment he laid his eyes on the green-gold staring at him today. He smirked, "Remember when we met and you thought Clary was my wife. We were in my driveway talking."

"And now I get to marry you." Magnus touched his forehead to Alec's. He kept his eyes open, just staring into the blue pools that pulled him in on that day. "My favorite was the bonfire which Jace announced you were gay and suddenly felt like I had a chance."

"The first date was great. Until it wasn't great."

Magnus shifted them, moving slightly to music that didn't exist. "Our 'mistake' of a first kiss. But it wasn't really a kiss so much as a make-out session. I mean that mark, oh babe, that mark. So pretty I had to show it off." He winked at Alec for good measure.

"I was such an idiot," Alec moved with Magnus taking the lead, their foreheads still together. "I wasted time being scared because I didn't know how to date."

"I can't fault you for that. You were thinking of Max but you had to learn to think of yourself as well." He kept them moving; mainly he didn't want to stop. He wanted to finish getting ready because they would be that much closer to walking down the aisle but he also didn't want to let go of Alec. His hands ran up and down Alec's back. "I called our second kiss a 'mistake'."

Alec grinned, closing his eyes to take in all the feelings and emotions attacking him, "Also, not a kiss, more of a make-out session. Izzy was right about that one. It felt so right."

"Tame isn't really our thing." Magnus whispered, "God, I fucking love you."

Alec laughed, pulling his head back and eyeing Magnus, "Let's get married."

"When you make it to the Whitney tell them to remove the part of the wedding about the rings. We are not taking them off ever again." Magnus held his hand up for added effect.

Alec backed up, his hand going to Magnus's tie, "I like this." He smoothed his hand down the tie in the same fashion as before.

"I know you do." Magnus took the tie out of his hands, "If your good then maybe I'll wrap it around your wrist later."

Alec smirked, "Promises, promises, Mr. Bane."

"Go away, you weirdo. I'll meet you there." Magnus kissed him while walking him to their bedroom door which had remained open the whole time. Their house was filled with random family members and anyone could have seen or heard their exchange which Magnus couldn't care if they had or not, but Alec wasn't one to talk about his insecurities and he hoped if anyone did hear they wouldn't say anything.

…

The Whitney was a grand estate in the heart of Detroit which was now five-star dining along with magnificent gardens. During their initial walkthrough, Magnus fell in love with a spilt staircase with large windows; it would be perfect for their five o'clock wedding. The guest would be on the balcony overlooking the stairs. The middle level with stairs going up and going down would hold just five people. The minister of services, Alec, him, and the boys. Alec and Magnus agreed from day one the boys had to be with them even if they acted up, they wouldn't be complete without them and they would stay together going into their marriage as they have done with everything in their lives. Their dinner after the wedding would also be held at the Whitney in one of their small drawing rooms, or what would have been a drawing when the mansion was built in the late 1800s. They had less than thirty guest and Alec flat out refused a dance floor. Magnus saw the look of pure pain run across Alec's eyes when they asked if there would be dancing, so Magnus quickly said no. This would be a dinner and mingle with friends. He would have loved to share a dance with Alec but he would never do that in public, it wasn't something Alec did and Magnus wasn't going to make him do that if he didn't want to even if it was for their wedding.

The ceremony was short, only mere minutes with the whole section of the rings cut out. After their vows were read and the kiss was exchanged the boys had run off to play with Izzy's baby Charlotte and baby Chris who was now able to keep up with them. Max and Raphael never had to be told to gentle with either of them; they just knew to do so. The one time Charlotte cried when Max was holding her, he cried along with her. Alec wanted to reassure him but it was just a cute sight he had to get a picture of it first. She was hungry or needed a diaper change but Max didn't know that and was scared he had done something wrong. She was only days old at the time but she had all three of her cousins wrapped around her finger. Now she was less than a month old and she would wiggle and the three boys would stop and watch. They were transfixed by all the pink. Izzy had gotten a lot more attention from the children and was currently at a table with Charlotte in the small bassinet with the boys all playing within reach. She wanted to stay longer but knew Charlotte wouldn't last that long so Magnus told her to bring it, he would deal with the rest.

It took one staff member to say something about the bassinet in the Whitney for Magnus pull on his lawyer voice and remind them of who is paying the bill. When the staff member froze, he asked for the manager and in the end the bassinet stayed.

There were round tables and square mixed around the room with open seating. Magnus flat out refused to create a seating chart; if his friends and family couldn't figure out where to sit, then they could sit on the floor, that was his quote on the subject. Alec had also refused to do it, so they stayed with open seating. The only people who had assigned sitting was Magnus and Alec at a small table at the head of the room, they left room for the boys but knew they weren't going to sit still long enough or even want to seat with them. They were growing up and didn't want to hang onto their parents all day, every day anymore. Alec was having a more significant problem with that then Magnus, so Magnus would just tap his arm and smile to distract him.

They were currently in the middle of dinner. Magnus was mingling around the guests, everyone was speaking to everyone except for Alec. He was standing off to the side leaning against a wall watching his husband work the room. He had lost count of the number minutes that ticked by but he saw Gina's little brother dash across the room to be with Max and Raphael. The boys had stuck up a sort of friendship that now included play dates. Gina was at a table with Tessa, Will, and Jem. Carol had made her appearance at the ceremony but didn't stay for dinner. There were a few members of his parent's inner circle that had been hard for Alec to see. His parent's friends in the balcony without his parents. Clary's parents were at the table with Izzy and the boys. Jace and Clary had disappeared somewhere; Alec watched them go then looked to Magnus who just shook his head with a wink and that had been twenty minutes ago. Ragnor was there along with a woman from New York, Catarina. She couldn't stay long, she was a doctor and had to return to work, she was in just for the night but Magnus had gone out to breakfast with them this morning bringing Raphael and Max with him, giving Alec some alone time. There were a few members of Alec's current management and a few lawyers from Magnus' office that rounded out the number of guests.

"Hey, handsome," Magnus smiled his soft, trademark smile coming up to stand next to Alec, "Whatcha doin'?"

Alec pulled Magnus to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder tucking him against his side. Magnus flattened a hand on Alec's back, squeezed against the wall, and the other on his chest. He absentmindedly played with Alec's black tie. Somehow, they matched well today even without trying; buying different suits from different stores, Magnus had commented that's how well suited they were for one another.

"Watching."

"Stalking is more like it." Magnus twisted so he could kiss the side of his neck, he stayed that way after pulling back from the kiss. He wanted to see him not the room. "What do you see?"

"People."

Magnus laughed, burying himself deeper into Alec's hold. Alec brought his hands up and wrapped them around Magnus' shoulder, trapping their bodies together. Alec kissed the side of Magnus' forehead before burring his face against Magnus' neck. "You okay, husband?" Magnus asked.

Alec nodded, "I suddenly feel so tired." He pulled back to be able to look him in the eyes, "I have been thinking about this day since before I asked you to marry me. Everything felt so right with you; I think that scared me more than not knowing how to date. But now that it's here, we did it. We made it. And I feel like I could sleep."

"I feel the same way." Magnus swayed slightly, getting Alec to move with him; once again dancing to the music no one could hear but their bodies. "All that mental energy used to make this happen and now that it's here and over we can relax."

Alec grinned with the slow sway of their bodies, "I will relax in two days when we are sailing out to sea and I don't have to leave our room if I don't want to. I don't have to do anything but sleep-"

Magnus cut Alec off by leaning in real close, pressing his lips against Alec's ear, whispering as low as he could, "And fuck your husband."

"Mag-"

Magnus swallowed his name, kissing Alec so roughly he lost his balance and had to lean back against the wall, or they would have fallen over. Alec ran his hands down Magnus' back, pulling on the suit jacket as he went. Magnus pulled back from the kiss. First, he glanced around the room satisfied that they weren't being watched and went back in for another kiss. Then another. And another. They were quickly growing out of control. Magnus put his hand on the wall next to Alec's head, pushing them further into one another.

Magnus nearly jumped out of his skin when the hand came down on his shoulder and he twisted to glare at the person interrupting them. It was Jace, Magnus never wanted to kill his brother-in-law more than he did at that moment. "Yes?" He ground out against clenched teeth.

"Max needs Alec." Jace tipped his head back and Magnus noticed Max was standing next to Jace, a hand holding onto his pant leg.

Alec twisted out of Magnus' hold and went down to one knee, "What's up?" Max raised his arms up and wrapped them around Alec's neck, hugging them together. Alec stood up with Max in his arms, the boy's face buried in Alec's neck. His legs around Alec's waist to hold on.

Jace gave Magnus a look of innocence and a wink; and left the small family together. Magnus noticed Raphael was now sitting on Ragnor's lap with Catarina in the next chair. Gina's baby brother, Chris, Charlotte were with Izzy and now Gina.

"Yeah?" Alec whispered, rubbing his hand up and down Max's back. Alec smirked and locked eyes with Magnus. "I love you." Alec kissed the side of Max's messy hair.

Max pulled back, he wasn't smiling but he wasn't frowning either, "Do you have to go?" He asked in a little voice.

Alec went to their table then, only a few feet from where they were standing and sat down, twisting Max, so the boy was looking at him, his legs on either side of Alec's waist. Magnus took the seat right next to him; his arm slung across the back of Alec's chair so he could hear them better.

"Yes, buddy. We talked about this."

Every day for the last month. They both took their turns talking to the boys about them being gone for so long and who was going to take care of them. They both seemed so responsive to it but Max was always way more sensitive then Raphael and it was finally crashing around him on what everything meant.

"I know." He looked at Magnus then back to Alec, "I just-" then he stopped, a small tear sitting in the corner of his eyes.

Magnus got the hint, he kissed Alec and then leaned in for a kiss to Max's forehead, "I love you, Max." He whispered into the kiss and left the father/son duo to talk. He went over to find Raphael and his friend still huddled together. "Raphael, did something happen to Max?"

"He went to Uncle Jace when he came by for Chris and said he wanted to talk to dad," Raphael spoke up, slightly confused at the words.

They really did need to work on a name for everyone; sometimes it got confusing on which father the boys wanted. They always said they were going to do something about that, but the time came and went and neither Alec or Magnus said or did anything about it.

Magnus looked over and saw Alec and Max had wide smiles on their face and Max was nodding along to whatever Alec was going on about. It was adorable and he wanted to take Raphael and join them, so that's what he did. "Come here." Magnus picked up Raphael, plucked him right out of Ragnor's arms who protested the most but Magnus didn't care. He went over to Alec and Max, "What's so funny?" He sat down with Raphael in a similar position to how Max was sitting on Alec.

"Cake monster, here thinks he can con me into getting him another slice of cake."

"Yeah!" Raphael leaned into Alec and Max, "Me too."

Magnus knew he was going to regret this but he eyed down the same waitress who didn't want Izzy to have her bassinet in the room but flagged her down just the same, "Can you bring out two plates of cake for the children, with chocolate milk?" He was polite but Alec knew he was also being an ass, he was overly polite on purpose. Alec usually called it his lawyer voice. "So Maximus, what's the deal? You okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Alec looked over at him and shook his head, "Someone was concerned with rather Ragnor had been told how many books he's supposed to read to him every night and what order."

Magnus stared at Alec, blinking a few times. Dumbfounded. "What?"

"Yep."

"What?" Magnus literally thought Max was going to start crying and he wanted to know about bedtime stories.

The cake showed up then; Alec stood up along with Magnus, he started pushing in the boy's chairs to get them closer to the table. Each one had removed their jacket's and ties long before dinner was even served.

"Books?" Magnus questioned again; Alec just shrugged, "I blame you for this." Magnus smiled.

"Better than drugs." Alec smirked, leaning back against the wall, Magnus had stepped up to him, "I totally forgot to tell Ragnor." He whispered with a sheepish grin, "Would you-?"

Magnus smirked with laughter hanging back just behind his eyes, "You forgot? Max would die." He gave him a quick kiss. "I'll be back." He took off than to see his friend and inform him of their children's insane habit for books and how Alec forgot and it almost ended with a destroyed Max.

The rest of the night went along in the same manner until members of their friends and family started to file out, each one stopping to say their words of congratulations and encouragement on their way out.

Alec and Magnus had jointly put the boys to bed that evening, which was usually one or the other. It didn't take long; they were so overly exhausted from the entire activities of the day, Alec didn't even make it one page in his book before they were both out cold.

They only made it to the kitchen before Alec couldn't contain himself anymore, he pulled on Magnus' tie. Pulling him hard against him and the kitchen counter. Magnus went willing his body and his lips finding Alec in a perfect fit. Magnus had to remind him they needed to quietly make it up the stairs or no sex until Florida.

Alec complained it was his wedding night; he was going to get some slutty wedding sex.

Magnus just laughed and agreed.

Alec pulled Magnus up the stairs by his tie.


	10. Malec Happily Ever After

**Chapter 10 – Malec Happily Ever After**

Alec dropped his duffle bag by the hotel door, rolling their larger suitcase in just a little further before letting go of the handle and making a beeline for the bed. Magnus followed shortly in with his own small carry-on bag and set it by Alec's.

"You're being a little overly dramatic," Magnus smirked, leaning against the wall while using his foot to tap the end of Alec's feet hanging off the edge of the bed. "Usually, that's my job."

Alec twisted on the bed to face Magnus, sitting up and planting his feet on the floor, "You just told the little old lady in the elevator we just had a very active honeymoon."

"We did. We did a lot on the ship and at each port of call." Magnus kept the smile on his face, sheepish and innocent.

"Yes, but you didn't have to continue that statement with the words 'both in and out of the bedroom'. She didn't need to know that?"

"She was thinking it."

"Oh my god, Magnus! She's like 90 years old." Alec groaned sitting back on the bed, laying all the way back. "I don't want to think about somebody's grandma thinking about my sex life."

"Our sex life." Magnus corrected with a grin, Alec had buried his head in his hands when the words left his mouth, so he missed the women's eyes grow wide and then grin with a nod of her head. She was totally into the answer and Magnus nodded back to her. They were on the same page, it was his prude of a husband who was currently still red, "She was all about it. She gave me the nod; she's happy for us."

"You could leave something to the imagination."

Magnus took out his phone then put it back in his pocket after quickly checking the time. "I'm going to run to the Publix across the street. Do you want to come with or you going to stay in here and hide?"

Alec sat up then, "You getting what I think you're getting?"

"Yes, if you come. If not, then no." Magnus shook his head. "I mean I didn't think we would actually run out I had done a little planning beforehand."

Alec smirked, "There was a flaw in your plans apparently." Magnus pulled off his light jacket and threw it at Alec who caught it before putting it on the bed, "Too much sex before the cruise."

"Who knew the beach would turn a person on?" Magnus whispered more to himself than to Alec. "Who knew the sight of you on the beach would turn me on so much?"

This was Alec's first time at the ocean and his excitement at seeing the ocean would lead to Magnus getting excited and they would spend their first night in a hotel before they even made it to the cruise ship in bed together, all night. There was something so amazing at seeing Alec act all giddy as something that Magnus has seen many times before. It was so childlike and the bright blue of Alec's eyes meshed well with the ocean and Magnus had to have him. Multiple times; which was the flaw in his plan. He didn't prepare himself for being that active before the cruise. Not to mention the time they spent on their wedding night. Alec wanted slutty wedding sex, so Magnus gave him slutty wedding sex. Long story short, Magnus thought to himself, they ran out of condoms.

"Let's never repeat this conversation to anyone. It sounds like we did nothing but have sex." Alec smirked at the look flashing across Magnus' face; he could see the words swirling around Magnus' brain, the comeback on the tip of his tongue. Alec held up a hand to silence him, "Let's go, honey, I want to call the kids."

"Honey?" Magnus stepped up to Alec, picking up his hand out of his midair and locking their fingers together, "I like that, but you know what I would like more-"

"Shut up, while your ahead Magnus." Alec tugged him towards the door. They knew what was coming next and Alec flat out refused to call him, 'daddy'. There was never a scene in his head where that word came out of his mouth in a sexual manner. "We have two more days before we return to normal life. And I love that life but can we please just have two days of calm before heading back. No dramatics."

Magnus frowned, "Do you even know who you married?"

Alec shook his head and pushed a little harder to get Magnus out of the door.

"I won't live a lie, Alexander." Magnus moaned in his most dramatic high pitched voice ever causing Alec to turn bright red with thoughts of abandoning the run for food and condoms altogether. He could go without.

…

"Dude, baby whisperer, get over here." Izzy craned her head over her screaming daughter to look up to her big brother, they had returned from their honeymoon the night before and he was just coming down the stairs.

Alec was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt and looking like complete hell. Their plane landed almost two hours late, between that and luggage he and Magnus didn't even make it home until nearly five in the morning. It was almost three in the afternoon but the kids wouldn't let them sleep and if they had to be up by eight in the morning then, so did everyone which meant Magnus and Alec were looking rough on family fun day.

Charlotte had a cold and wouldn't calm down for anyone or anything, but the second she caught sight of Alec earlier that morning, it was game over. Charlotte was in love; the second Alec left her sight she went back to fussing. He only went upstairs to use the bathroom but that wasn't allowed in Charlotte's world.

Alec looked around the room to see no sight of Magnus or the boys, "Where-"

"Downstairs. Here" Izzy held out Charlotte and Alec took her without even noticing he was being handed a baby. Charlotte calmed down and stared up at the tall man with a beard holding her.

"It's like magic." Simon slumped on the couch next to Clary, who was leaning on Jace.

"What is with you four?" Alec instant moved in a slow dancing motion which calmed Charlotte down even further.

Clary perked up causing Jace and Simon fall towards each other, almost knocking heads before they caught themselves, "It's the calm before the storm." She held up a single finger then went back to the couch unaware that if she waited a second less, she would have crushed both Simon and Jace. "She'll scream again."

"Seriously? What is the deal?"

"Is it just me or everyone acting funny?" Magnus came up in almost the same state of exhaustion as Alec, similarly dressed as well. "Oh, you found a baby!" Magnus smiled and lightly touched Charlotte's dark black peach fuzzed head, she was going to have amazing hair. "Alec, will you be my baby da-"

"Stop." Alec stepped back. "Don't finish that."

"Baby daddy?" Clary giggled with the question left in the air.

Alec looked around to make sure the kids were nowhere in sight, "He's got this weird thing with me calling him 'daddy' and I won't do it."

"I only do it because you get all squirmy and panicky." Magnus sat down next to Izzy with a huge grin, he locked eyes with Alec and just stared.

Izzy frowned, looking between Alec and Magnus. "You wouldn't know that you two just came back from a honeymoon with the way you guys are staring each other down." Her frown deepened, "Maybe you need another one."

"Well, due to poor planning, on my part, we ra-"

"Magnus, if you don't shut up then you'll be divorced twice." Alec tried to keep the grin off his face but he couldn't.

"Fine, but give me baby." He held out his hands to take Charlotte. She wasn't as in love with Magnus as she was Alec but she didn't get as loud as if anyone else was holding her. "Just one more month little one, then we will have a baby boy or baby girl to go with you." Magnus used the smallest voice he could muster to coo at her. They knew what they were having but they weren't telling. Magnus wanted it to be a secret, so Alec agreed, he even went as far as to agree on two separate occasions not to tell Clary. He had kept his promise this time.

Alec went over to his armchair and took a sit just in time for Max to make a flying leap into his lap. "Hey, Max." He hugged his son to his side and twisted slightly when Chris climbed up onto his lap. Raphael frowned, "Hold on." He tapped on Max, "Up for a second." Alec pulled Chris up with him and he stood to sit on the floor, with his back on the chair. He put Chris on his lap while Raphael hugged into his side and Max climbed into the chair but sideways with his feet hanging off the edge and a hand in Alec's hair.

"So Alec, are you going to keep the beard?" Jace asked with a hand motion over his own face.

Alec didn't grow the beard on purpose, he had forgotten a razor and didn't notice until he was on the ship and refused to pay ten times the cost for a razor, so he went without. Magnus offered his but Alec decided to grow it out for the trip, see what it would look like. His hair was also slightly longer than more and Magnus didn't complain. His goal was to get it all trimmed up before work in the morning but leaving the house didn't seem like it was going to happen.

"I want him to keep it." Magnus smiled down at Charlotte, "It's sexy. Yes, he is." He smirked at her squirm, loving the baby wiggles. Then he looked up at Alec, "Super sexy. The beard stays."

"Oh my god, what happened to you two? You two weren't like this in the beginning." Jace sat up completely straight, the annoyance rolling off him in waves, "It has been nothing but this hands on crap. You're in love. You find each other sexy. We get it. Get over it." Jace groaned, Clary smacked him hard across his chest hissing at him to shut up. "What?"

Alec looked at Magnus with a frown. His heart stopped for just a half second, Magnus saw it flash across Alec's face, "What happened?" Magnus spoke up at Alec's frown; he passed Charlotte back to Izzy, the baby was sleeping and no longer fussing. "Nothing happened. We just love each other." He didn't want to remind the entire room what happened. It had taken the last year and half of their lives to get past what happened and make it down the aisle, into a new home, with a baby on the way. He was in a bad mood and exhausted and now he wanted their family gone. "I didn't think it was a crime to tell my husband I think he's sexy. Maybe you should say it to your wife from time to time."

Alec noticed Jace sitting up a little straighter and gearing up for a fight so he cut in, "Alright," He looked at Clary to make sure Magnus' comment didn't cross a line with her, he couldn't tell for sure but it looked like she had a smirk hiding behind her eyes. "Magnus and I are exhausted and we would like time with our children before bedtime, so family day is over." Alec pushed on Raphael, "Max, Raphael, say your goodbyes." He hugged Chris tightly to him before releasing him.

"We haven't had dinner yet?" Izzy complained, "I wanted pizza."

"You can get pizza anywhere. We're tired." Magnus spoke up, him and Alec shared a look. Jace pissed off Magnus, and Alec was exhausted. They were ready to drop and still wanted to spend time with just their children. "Sorry, guys. Thanks for watching our children. Hopefully, they weren't too insane for everyone." Ragnor had to leave the day before, he had to get back to work so for the last day and a half Clary and Izzy handled the boys.

It didn't take long for the Lightwood/Lewis clan to pack up and leave which made Magnus smile; he wanted them gone. He loved them. But Jace was annoying him and he was just plain exhausted. The boys were wild tonight with the excitement of them being home and he couldn't blame them; it just meant they needed more time together to get them to calm down for work and school in the morning.

"Alright, monsters, what do you want to do?" Alec asked a giggling Max and Raphael, both were hanging on the couch, playing some sort of foot war.

"Aunt Clary got us a new book," Raphael spoke up.

Alec grinned, "Of course she did. Papa, here-" Alec hit Magnus twice on the stomach, "- is going to order pizza and I'm going to come read to you guys, go downstairs."

Magnus frowned, "Papa?"

"What? Got something else you would rather be called?" Alec raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to say it.

Magnus shook his head. He already tried the 'daddy' joke earlier and it didn't go well; it was too soon to try again. He had to time them just right, or the joke would go stale and he would never hear the words out of Alec's mouth. "Honey?" He smiled at his retort.

"Okay, honey," Alec leaned in for a quick kiss, "Order pizza then family time."

"I shouldn't have pounced on Jace with that last comment. I know he didn't mean to be mean, it just hit a nerve." Magnus was scowling through his phone for the pizza app, he didn't want to look at Alec, "I'll text him later and tell him I'm an idiot."

"He doesn't know that last year is still an emotional scar for me because I don't tell him. We have changed over the last year, for the better, but we have. He's not going to connect the dots on the cause and effect which I don't expect him to." Alec wished Magnus would just look at him, "You saw me panic."

Magnus looked up at him then, "I did."

"So you got snarky with Jace because you saw me panic." Alec held out his hand, glad when Magnus took it with a squeeze, "Thank you for protecting me. I love you even more for it." He tugged Magnus to him, "But let me take on Jace. I'll text him."

"I messed up."

"No, no one messed up. Thank you for always being there even against Jace, who has no idea he said anything wrong."

Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's waist, pulling them flush together. "He should know. Clary and Izzy knew. They straightened up so fast."

"Simon didn't." Alec fought back, "It's okay Magnus, this is my issue to deal with I don't expect the rest of my family to consistently remember that something bad happened to me. I don't talk to them about it and so I honestly get why they don't. I would prefer them not walking on eggshells around me. Maybe I should tell them more but I'm okay. I love you."

Magnus glared at him, "You're lying, baby daddy but I'll let it go for now."

….

Magnus leaned back as far as he could in his chair without falling over, it had been almost a week since they returned from their honeymoon and it was so hard for him to back into his lawyer mode. He had clear a lot from his plate before leaving work for two weeks with time off for the wedding prep and then the extended honeymoon which made it hard to get back into work mode. He was busy. He had work. He just didn't want to do it. It was late in the afternoon, he had less than twenty minutes left in his day and he was counting the seconds.

"What do we pay you for?" Mr. Wells walked into Magnus' office, closing the door as quietly as possible.

Magnus sat up straight staring at his boss, "Sir."

Mr. Wells spoke with his hands while taking a seat, "Congratulations, Mr. Bane. I like the tan."

Magnus smiled, "You should see the other guy." He pulled out his phone and showed off his favorite picture from the last two weeks. It was the last night of the cruise, he and Alec were on the top deck with the music blaring all around them, it was barely light out and the setting sun in hues of pink and orange surrounded them. He was sitting on a lounger in his shorts with an open, bright blue shirt; Alec was in his favorite pair of cargo shorts and a light color polo which blended in with the sunset. You could see their tans; both had a pair of sunglasses resting on top of their heads, along with Magnus holding a drink in his hand. Alec was taking the picture with matching wide mouth smiles.

"You guys are adorable." He smirked, "Have fun?"

"I really didn't want to come back."

"I didn't either. It got harder with each child as well."

Magnus groaned, "Alec and I haven't even worked on that yet, we know the first two weeks for sure will be both of us. But we don't know after that."

"Well, how was it with the first two?" Mr. Wells leaned all the way back in the chair; these were nicer then Magnus' old office.

Magnus frowned a bit, "Alec was a single parent and hired a day nanny for a bit before putting Max in daycare. I was married when Raphael was a baby and my wife stayed home. This situation is all new to us."

"Well, you have leeway to work from home if you need to, you know that policy. The boss' have always been proud of their family forward thinking."

Magnus nodded, "I'm thinking of taking the two weeks off then teleworking for another week. Bonding with your child, in the beginning, is important."

"You have come in so many Saturdays over the last few months; I think the boss' would give you anything you asked for." He stood up then, bringing Magnus to his feet with him, "Alright, back to work and keep me posted."

"Thank you, sir." Magnus held up his cell phone as if buzzed across his desk, "Sir, could you close the door behind you? It's my brother-in-law." He waited for his nod before answering, he and Jace hadn't spoken since the family dinner that never happened, "Hey, Jace, what's up?" He felt terrible for his overreaction of the situation but he had been exhausted and how many times could Jace get away with making stupid comments and not thinking things through. Yes, it was Alec's emotional drama but the timing of the comment had been back.

" _Hey, sorry to call when you're at work but Clary and I could use a favor."_

"What's up?"

" _I have this client meeting across town and Clary has to take her mother in for this procedure. I can't take Chris and she doesn't want him in the waiting room with her for hours. Izzy and Simon are gone for some dinner thing. Can you and Alec watch Chris tonight for a bit?"_

"Of course, what time?"

" _Well, Clary has to leave in an hour but if you could meet her at the hospital and pick Chris up from there. I tried calling Alec twice but he hasn't picked up my call in days, actually."_

Magnus frowned, he didn't know that. Alec didn't say anything, maybe he was busy at work and forgot, "Actually, I get out in ten. I can meet her at the house or the condo if that's easier. I got time before the boys are due to be picked up."

" _Yeah, actually, if you could swing by the condo, that would be great." Jace paused, "Listen, uhm, Magnus about last weekend. I wasn't trying to be insensitive. It's just one of those things where I forget what happened to Alec, it seems so long ago. He doesn't talk about it with me and he acts like nothing happened so sometimes I forget. I-"_

"It's alright Jace; I was being snarky because I was tired. I shouldn't have said what I did. Listen, Jace, I'm going to tell you something but I really need to understand you have to be an adult and not tell anyone." Magnus paused, Alec was going to murder him, "Alec's in therapy for it. He's not over it; it doesn't creep in every day but it's there. He's getting better but being sexually harassed, assaulted, has a lasting effect. I tell him I love him every day and I think he's sexy because I know he likes it. It distracts him and reminds him of good things. He had other issues that therapy is helping to work out that were there before Underhill but he only really noticed because of the whole Underhill situation. He's getting the help he needs and he's so much better but he's still sensitive."

" _I know. I'm sorry. I'll do a better job in the future. I'll call Clary and let her know you're on your way. Thanks, brother."_

Jace hung up before Magnus could correct the brother comment but he secretly enjoyed it as well. He slowly began packing up his computer. He had a family he never thought possible before.

…

"Dad?"

Raphael pushed on Magnus' chest with a force so hard, Magnus thought he was going to die. "Yeah?" He hissed out when Max decided to join in on the fun and push on his other side, "What do you want minions?"

"Breakfast."

"Go find Alec." He twisted still not opening his eyes, he could feel that Alec wasn't with him, or he would have been groaning along with him.

"We did-" Max started.

"-he said to find you." Raphael pushed again.

"I was kidding, you two. Go downstairs; we'll be down in a minute." Alec pushed on Max's head to get him off his side of the bed and sat down with his back against the headboard.

"Go." Magnus pushed on Raphael, who flopped down on his chest.

"Pancakes?" Raphael whispered.

Magnus nodded in his sleep, "And bacon."

"K." Both kids left the room completely ignoring Alec.

Alec watched their two sons run out of the bedroom and down the stairs, "Wakey wakey." Alec whispered in the general direction of Magnus' ear. Magnus twisted to lay against Alec's leg, throwing his arm over his legs, "Careful." Alec twisted just enough to sit a little higher on the bed.

Magnus smiled at the sound; he knew that sound. He finally opened his eyes and smiled at Alec when their eyes met, "Mornin' babe." He sat up to kiss Alec on the cheek, then rested his hand on the back of their daughter's head, "Morning, my baby girl." He kissed her head then went back to laying beside them. She fussed in Alec's arms but settled back down when Alec whispered her name to her.

"I didn't hear you get up." Magnus laid on his back to stare up at his husband and daughter.

"We haven't been up long, have we?" Alec smiled at her, her little eyes closing and opening softly, she wiggled a little then settled down just to wiggle again.

"How about I get the boys food and cleaned up and you get her?" Magnus set up again, "You're sisters are going to be here soon, I bet."

"Actually, I didn't tell them." Alec smiled at the shocked look on Magnus' face. "Listen-"

"Alec, they are going to kill us." Magnus frowned, "You didn't tell them we have a baby? Kinda impressed you could keep a secret from Clary actually." He whispered the last part to himself.

Alec pouted his bottom lip out, "Listen, today is family day anyway, everyone is going to be here around two, right?" He asked but didn't wait for an answer, "I thought we could have a little more family time and then we could surprise them."

"Alec, Cecily was born on Thursday, she's been home since Friday morning and you haven't told your family yet." Magnus had to grin at him, "I didn't know you knew how to keep a secret from Clary."

"I want to put her in that cute little purple tutu outfit Max and Raphael picked out for her and show her off, I want to show off our daughter." He had the brightest grin on his face. "I want to present her to the family. Our baby girl."

Magnus' grin widened, "Come here you." He twisted on his knees so he could kiss Alec, really kiss him, applying pressure until Cecily wiggled in Alec's arms. She was calling the attention back on her. Magnus laughed, "Welcome to the family, Cecily Grace Lightwood-Bane."

"Thanks," Alec whispered back to Magnus who just smiled at him. "Daddy."

 **.The End.**


End file.
